Morocco

King's niece Lalla Soukaïna's unexpected new ventures

Well established in the private education sector thanks to her Jacques Chirac school group, the daughter of Lalla Meryem and Fouad Filali has quietly made some investments in recent months.

Mohammed VI puts French château up for sale

The king of Morocco has decided to sell the castle he owns in the village of Betz, in the Oise region, located 70km from Paris.

Frozen sardines in troubled waters

As the world's leading producer and exporter, Morocco is facing a shortage of small pelagic fish and has imposed restrictions on exports of frozen sardines. A major industry player now faces the prospect of direct fallout.

Businessman Chakib Alj restarts Yariv Elbaz's old mills for Ramadan

The boss of all bosses is strengthening his grip on Forafric's assets. He is restocking the industrial units in Meknes and Marrakesh with grain for the holy month.

A new mining trader sources from the kingdom

In a market dominated by Glencore, a new player has begun to forge ties with groups based in the country. The goal: to supply Chinese clients.

The New Guard
Morocco, Ethiopia, Ghana

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

MoroccoIsmaïl Zouhair, behind the wheel of Tesla's future in the kingdom

EthiopiaImran Nuruhussen, new champion of coffee producers

GhanaGertrude Emefa Donkor, sparkling strategist heading national jewellery

Intelligence-economy giant Adit poised to gain access to Choiseul Associates's contacts

Represented in Morocco since 2024 by its director Doha Lkasmi, Next Step Influence, French firm Adit's strategic influence agency, is expected shortly to be able to draw on Choiseul's well‑established networks in the country.

Mohamed Chaouki wins RNI presidency but remains in shadow of Aziz Akhannouch

After 10 years at the helm of the Rassemblement National des Indépendants party, the head of government has decided to step down, making way for his protégé. However, the prime minister remains the party's central figure.

OCP Group's new lobbyist in Washington

The CEO of OCP North America has registered as a lobbyist for another subsidiary, OCP Nutricrops, in Washington.

US fast-food chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr. hungry for the kingdom's market

The parent company of the two outlets, CKE Restaurants Holdings, is looking to break into Africa for the first time. Discussions with various parties are underway.

After Germany, Xlinks works on France-Morocco power interconnection project

The company, which hoped to supply the United Kingdom from the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, has launched a French subsidiary which aims to link France and Morocco via a subsea cable.

King Mohammed VI, Jeune Afrique's forgotten shareholder

Ona International, which is owned by the king's holding company, acquired a stake in the Jeune Afrique media group during the reign of Hassan II and still holds a symbolic shareholding, similar to that held by hundreds of other dormant shareholders.

Lobbyist Abdelmalek Alaoui joins Zniber family service

After a difficult financial period, the agricultural holding company run by Rita Zniber is seeking to restore its image among international investors. The appointment of the influential entrepreneur to its board of directors is intended to help achieve this.

French bill on fertilisers raises concerns at OCP Group

Just adopted in committee by the National Assembly, the draft legislation tabled by MP Benoît Biteau seeks to ban fertilisers containing cadmium. Without naming it, the text targets the Moroccan phosphate giant, France's leading supplier.