Nearly 65% of adults in the Arab region remain excluded from formal financial systems, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Annual SDG Review 2025 paints a sobering picture of persistent financial exclusion that is undermining the region’s ability …
Nearly 65% of adults in the Arab region remain excluded from formal financial systems, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Annual SDG Review 2025 paints a sobering picture of persistent financial exclusion that is undermining the region’s ability …
There is growing awareness globally about the potential impacts of climate change on financial stability. Climate-related financial risks can be broadly grouped into two categories: (i) climate physical risks, which are financial risks stemming from the gradual and abrupt impacts of climate change (primarily droughts and floods in the case …
The Africa Wealth Report is the continent’s annual benchmark for private wealth research. Now in its 7th year, the report provides the most comprehensive review of the wealth sector in Africa, including trends among high-net-worth individuals, the luxury market, and wealth management. The report reveals that total private wealth currently …
Economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are expected to grow by 5.2% in 2022, the fastest rate since 2016, on the back of oil-price windfalls benefitting the region’s oil exporters. But heightened uncertainty surrounds this forecast due to the war in Ukraine and ongoing threats from …
The Comparative Study on Empowering Women in Water Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region has been elaborated with the aim to identify the similarities and the differences in the challenges female water experts face across the five countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine), and to identify …
This working paper was produced under the European Union Horizon 2020 funded AGRUMIG project and traces the impact of Covid-19 on migration trends in seven project countries – China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand. The context of global migration has changed dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both …
Africa faces significant challenges in accessing high-quality pharmaceuticals, exacerbating a continued high burden of disease. The availability of essential drugs in the public sector across the continent has been reported to be less than 60 per cent. One factor contributing to this shortfall is Africa’s heavy reliance on imported medicines. …
Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient in agriculture; however, lack of reporting makes its supply chain a black box. By using literature synthesis on the P challenge, we identify four areas where the reporting process is problematic: P reserves and resources; P losses along the supply chain; P externalities; and …
Today 60 percent of Moroccans reside in urban areas, as opposed to 35 percent in 1970. By 2050, nearly three-quarters of the country’s population will be living in cities. Along with the concentration of people, urbanization will lead to the increasing concentration of economic activities in cities, which today are …
This report presents the case for a "subsidy swap"—reallocating some of the savings from fossil fuel subsidy reform to fund the clean energy transition. Fossil fuel to clean energy subsidy swaps are already taking place. Globally, fossil fuel subsidies have fallen and global investments in renewable energy have exceeded investments …
A consortium led by French EDF Renewables won a tender to build an 800-megawatt solar plant near the Moroccan city of Midelt, local media reported on Wednesday. The consortium involves also UAE's Masdar and Morocco's Green Energy of Africa, the financial news site Medias24.com said. The plant will be built …
Thousands of demonstrators marched in Morocco's capital Sunday to condemn lengthy prison sentences given to dozens of activists, including the leader of the Hirak Rif poverty-fighting movement. The demonstration brought one of the main avenues of Rabat to a standstill. Security forces kept watch as participants sang, "The people want …
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted the Moroccan Motorway Company (ADM) 80 million euros (90.4 million U.S. dollars) to upgrade highway infrastructure in the region of Grand Casablanca, EIB and ADM said in a joint statement Tuesday. The loan will finance the tripling of the Casablanca-Berrechid highway lanes on …
Rabat – The European Parliament has voted on the agriculture agreement between Morocco and the European Union, passing it by a large majority. The agreement was voted on in a plenary session in Strasbourg today. The agreement received 444 votes in favor of the agriculture deal. The deal aims to …
The government introduced amendments to the law banning plastic bags. Moroccan consumption of the raw material used in manufacturing plastic bags dropped by 50 percent since 2015. Rabat – The Government Council adopted Bill 57.18 amending and modifying Law 77.15 on the ban of plastic bags on Thursday. Law 77.15 …
Rabat – The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has estimated that Morocco registered 1,879 births on January 1, 2018. UNICEF estimated that Morocco’s New Year’s babies could live to the age of 77, until 2096. In Algeria, 2,407 babies were born on New Year’s Day, 516 were born …
Morocco launched its second earth observation satellite, Mohammed VI-B, from French Guiana early on Wednesday, the second in a year. Its first satellite, Mohammed VI-A, was launched on November 8, 2017, by the Vega rocket from the same Kourou space centre, Morocco's official MAP news agency said. Both satellites can …
Droughts in Morocco are increasing in frequency and intensity. Associated with global climate change, this trend will likely be more evident in the future. Drought damage to the agricultural sector affects both rural livelihoods and the national economy as a whole. This report examines drought and climate variability impacts on …
The Moroccan government will spend 2.99 billion U.S. dollars from 2018 to 2021 to develop its roads, Minister of Equipment and Transport Abdelkader Amara said on Monday. Speaking during the 10th National Congress on Roads, Amara said the investments devoted to roads have increased significantly during recent years. He noted …
Rabat – A violent storm hit Ourika Valley, 90 kilometers from Marrakech, causing floods and damage to many merchants and restaurateurs. According to local media, the storm hit Monday night, August 6, causing the Ourika river to overflow, instantly creating landslides in the village of Sti Fadma and other areas. …
