Barlaman Today

Hop Lun, a Chinese fashion group specializing in intimate apparel and swimwear, is acquiring three manufacturing facilities in Morocco, with a combined labor force of 800 skilled employees, the company announced in a statement on Friday. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2025. Hop Lun acquired the first facility as part of its purchase of Tobago, a Morocco-based lingerie and swimwear manufacturer that supplies leading French and European brands serving global markets. The Tobago plant is a 3,000 square-meter facility located in Casablanca and produces approximately 1 million pieces per year. The second two facilities are part of Hop Lun’s acquisition of the Chantelle Group’s operations in Morocco, which include the Famaco and Atma manufacturing facilities. The two factories produce approximately 1.4 million pieces annually.

Stanford University’s 2024 global ranking has placed six researchers from the International University of Rabat (UIR) among the world’s top 2% scientists, recognizing their exceptional contributions to global research. The distinguished scholars, Mounir Ghogho, Asmae Berrada, MOHAMED BAALI, Said Ahzi, Amine Belhadi, and Foued Saâdaoui, represent a wide range of disciplines, including #engineering, #medicine, #social sciences, and information technology. Their work demonstrates both depth and impact across multiple fields, reflecting years of dedication and innovation. This recognition underscores UIR’s growing reputation for research excellence and its commitment to advancing scientific knowledge on an international scale. It highlights the university’s ability to cultivate world-class talent and contribute meaningfully to global scientific progress.

Morocco Launches Pathacks.com to Train One Million Youth in Coding, Data Science, and Innovation by 2036 Morocco has unveiled Pathacks.com, the country’s first national platform for digital education, created by  Abdellatif Belmkadem, head of the National Institute for Innovation and Advanced Technology (INITA). The initiative aims to train one million young people in coding, data science, artificial intelligence, and innovation by 2036, as part of Morocco’s broader strategy to build a competitive digital economy. Described as a “school of the future,” Pathacks leverages AI-driven and interactive tools to offer personalized learning, virtual mentorship, and certification programs aligned with job market needs. The platform will remain free during its pilot phase until December 7, 2025, before expanding nationwide through public and private partnerships. Belmkadem, whose institute has received international recognition for its digital innovation projects, says Pathacks represents “a national vision with a global reach” aimed at empowering Moroccan youth to create, innovate, and lead in the digital era.

Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P - University Mohammed VI Polytechnic) is now recognized as the highest-ranked university in North Africa, according to the @Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025. Founded in 2016, UM6P stands out for its #research focus and modern infrastructure. It is part of #Morocco’s broader “Green City” initiative and is named among the world’s universities placed in the 401-500 band globally by THE. Key strengths that helped UM6P achieve this distinction include its advanced computing resources, as it hosts Africa’s most powerful #supercomputer at its African Supercomputing Centre. The university is also home to a laboratory for modelling, simulation, and data analysis.

Morocco’s Foundation of Museums (FNM) has appointed Nadia Sabri the new director of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI). An art historian, curator, and academic, Sabri also serves as president of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA-Maroc). The newly appointed director succeeded Abdelaziz El Idriss, who has led the MMVI since its inauguration in 2014 by King Mohammed VI.

The European Union and #Morocco signed on Friday a new agreement in Brussels that gives agricultural products from Morocco’s southern provinces, namely Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, the same preferential access to EU markets as products from the rest of the country. The deal is a diplomatic victory for Morocco following the European Court of Justice (#CJEU)’s October 2024 decision to strike down the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, valued at USD 85 million a year. The CJEU decision had argued that the deal had been concluded without the consent of the Sahrawi people, as claimed by the Polisario Front, a separatist movement backed by Algeria. Under the amended #agricultural agreement, Moroccan products from the Southern provinces will benefit from preferential tariffs and entry conditions, ensuring parity with exports from northern regions. The agreement also requires transparent labelling that identifies products originating in Laayoune and Dakhla, giving consumers clear information about their provenance.

South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem will establish a new plant in Casablanca after securing a USD 770 million contract to supply 48 electric trains for Morocco’s USD 2.2 billion railway modernization program. The project, launched under King Mohammed VI’s strategy, aims to enhance urban mobility, reduce congestion, and strengthen Morocco’s industrial base by integrating local supply chains and creating thousands of jobs. Officials say the plant will also position Morocco as a future exporter of rolling stock to African and Middle Eastern markets. The wider plan includes 260 kilometers of new tracks, 50 major structures, technical centers, workshops, and a terminal designed to serve up to 12 million passengers annually. It is part of Morocco’s long-term USD 10.6 billion, ten-year rail strategy, which features the Marrakech–Kenitra high-speed line and rolling stock agreements with Alstom and CAF, signaling a diversification of suppliers to ensure efficiency and competitiveness.

Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, announced the launch of two major industrial projects in the aerospace sector during a ceremony in Nouaceur province on Tuesday. The first project involves a new site for DUQUEINE Group Composites Maroc, marking the French group’s first investment in #Morocco and #Africa. With a total investment of MAD 36 million over four years (2026–2030), the facility will focus on advanced composite materials, bolstering innovation and sustainability within Morocco’s aviation industry. The second project will see the construction of a new production unit by Masterflex Group, a global leader in flexible connection solutions for the #aerospace sector. The initiative aims to strengthen Morocco’s national supply chain, improve logistics flows, and deepen the country’s integration into Boeing’s global ecosystem. “These projects reinforce Morocco’s position as a trusted and competitive industrial platform,” Mezzour said, highlighting the long-term vision of King Mohammed VI in making the country a regional hub for aerospace investment.

Egyptian journalist Mohad Elsharkawy accused the BBC of silencing him after the network labeled him “anti-Semitic” and withdrew a job offer for senior producer on the program “Dars.” Elsharkawy posted on LinkedIn Saturday that he had already passed the written test, completed interviews with four senior BBC managers, and finalized his start date in Cairo before the BBC reversed its decision to offer him the position. He asserted that “the situation escalated further the very next day when the BBC also terminated my current role as a freelance producer with Egypt Time program, a decision that left me deeply disappointed, especially after considering the BBC my second home for many years.” #MohadElsharkawy #BBC