AGP Executive Report

Heritage: The Tan-Tan Moussem has opened with an Emirati pavilion showcasing shared Moroccan-Emirati traditions, crafts, food and performances through November 3. Education: Morocco plans to expand its public universities from 12 to 27, aiming to bring higher education closer to students in underserved regions. Public Health: Diphtheria has returned after more than 30 years, with officials urging families to check children’s vaccination records and catch up on missed boosters. Oasis Life: Morocco forecasts a 11% rise in date production to 177,000 tons this season; the Erfoud fair highlights the crop’s importance to jobs and rural livelihoods. Arts and Memory: A new publicly funded museum dedicated to Jewish culture has opened in Morocco, while Indigenous Moroccan music is finding fresh expression through electronica.

Oasis Livelihoods: Morocco forecasts 177,000 tonnes of dates for the 2026–27 season, up 11%, with the Erfoud fair spotlighting a crop vital to jobs and incomes in oasis communities. Amazigh Music: Traditional Ahwach singers Bnat Louz have joined forces with Casablanca electronic duo Raskas on AZMZ, bringing centuries-old sounds into a striking new musical form. Cultural Heritage: Morocco has opened its first publicly funded museum dedicated to Jewish culture, a landmark addition to the country’s cultural institutions. Film and Design: Tangier’s film festival has unveiled its international short-film selection, while Morocco’s design scene is drawing attention as a new creative force.

Heritage: Fes has opened a publicly funded Museum of Moroccan Jewish Culture in the city’s historic Mellah, with exhibits spanning 2,500 years of Jewish life in Morocco. Arts & Film: Tangier Film Festival has unveiled its international short-film selection, while Marrakech is preparing the first edition of its Jazz Experience, focused on modern Moroccan jazz. Living Culture: A new analysis explores Amazigh oral literature and its role in preserving performance, memory and cultural identity. Community: A new stadium in Casablanca’s Derb Ghallef aims to give young people greater access to sport, education and practical training. Health: Morocco has confirmed about 30 diphtheria cases; a health official links the resurgence to falling childhood vaccination rates.

Amazigh Heritage: A new analysis frames Morocco’s oral literature—from sung poetry and ahidous to tales and proverbs—as a living tradition shaped by performance and women’s transmission. It calls for archiving and teaching these forms while allowing them to evolve. Food & Tradition: Morocco’s 15th International Date Fair opened this week, celebrating the country’s date-growing heritage. Film: Tangier Film Festival has unveiled its international short-film competition lineup. Music: Marrakech Jazz Experience is set to launch its first edition, spotlighting modern Moroccan jazz. Design: A look at Morocco’s design renaissance highlights a growing creative scene.

Women’s Football: Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa beat Nigeria’s Edo Queens in extra time to qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League, joining Morocco’s AS FAR in Group B. Edo Queens have filed a fresh complaint with CAF over the disputed replay. Public Health: Northern Morocco has recorded 25 suspected diphtheria cases across seven provinces, including confirmed infections, after a child’s death. Fourteen patients have recovered as testing and surveillance continue. Education and Social Aid: MPs scrutinising Morocco’s 2027 budget questioned whether student grants will reach families who need them, and called for public investment to be shared more fairly among regions. Cultural Tourism: Royal Air Maroc will launch two weekly Casablanca–Essaouira return flights on November 1, with a fixed one-way fare of MAD 400, aiming to improve access to the coastal city and its cultural heritage.

Education & Tech: Morocco and the US have launched Route 250, a national program to train teachers in coding, robotics and AI tools, with workshops planned across the country. Design & Heritage: A new wave of Moroccan designers is seeking greater recognition for local craft. The country’s craft exports reached MAD 1.23 billion in 2025, up from MAD 792 million in 2019. Arts & Events: Tangier Film Festival has unveiled its international short-film lineup, while Marrakech prepares to host the first Marrakech Jazz Experience. Morocco’s International Date Fair is also set to open, and a poetry festival aims to bring writers together. Community: Morocco Day marks its 10th anniversary on October 30, spotlighting cultural exchange and Moroccan-American ties. Women & Work: Six million Moroccan women say household duties keep them from employment, according to new figures from the High Commission for Planning.

Arts & Festivals: Tangier Film Festival has unveiled its international short-film selection, while Marrakech Jazz Experience will launch its first edition celebrating modern Moroccan jazz. A literature and poetry festival is also set to bring writers together. Food Heritage: Morocco’s 15th International Date Fair kicks off this week, putting the country’s date-growing traditions in focus. Women at Work: HCP figures show around six million Moroccan women cite household duties as a barrier to employment, with nearly five million also pointing to childcare. Child Health: A third child has died of diphtheria in Morocco as parents call for stronger school health measures and experts warn of vaccination gaps.

Child Health: A third child has died of diphtheria in northern Morocco, prompting parents’ groups to call for faster vaccination, school health checks and clearer updates for families. Oasis Culture: Erfoud’s 15th International Date Fair runs Oct. 28–Nov. 1, bringing 230 exhibitors together to showcase dates, local products and cultural performances. Hearing Care: Princess Lalla Asmaa and Rwanda’s First Lady launched a new phase of their hearing-health partnership in Kigali, including Rwanda’s first hearing diagnosis and rehabilitation center. Outdoor Tourism: The Atlas Marathon drew runners to Ait Bougmez, with races from 10 to 42 kilometres promoting the High Atlas valley as a destination for mountain sports. Education Debate: French mission schools say they respect Morocco’s cultural context after a children’s book featuring two fathers sparked controversy at a Rabat school.

Health & Inclusion: Princess Lalla Asmaa and Rwanda’s First Lady launched a new phase of Morocco’s hearing-care partnership and opened Rwanda’s first hearing diagnosis and rehabilitation centre. Rwanda is the programme’s 23rd partner country; nearly 500 patients have received care. Women in the Outdoors: More than 30 all-women crews are expected in Morocco’s NOUR desert rally, running through October 31. First-time entrants Wissal Ziki and Fatima Nassid say they want to learn and show what women can do. Arts & Events: Marrakech Jazz Experience will debut with a celebration of modern Moroccan jazz, while the Atlas Marathon brought runners to Ait Bougmez for a weekend of mountain races and tourism. Schools & Culture: French mission schools in Morocco say they balance openness with respect for local cultural context after a children’s book featuring two fathers in a Rabat school library sparked debate. Women in Business: Women led 15.6% of Moroccan companies in 2024 and received just 10.8% of total business lending, according to a Finance Ministry report.

Community and Identity: Muslim residents of Ceuta say racist abuse has risen since mass arrivals from Morocco, leaving long-established communities feeling treated as outsiders. Public Health: Two unvaccinated children have died of diphtheria in Salé; health teams are vaccinating contacts and monitoring suspected cases. Student Life: Morocco’s student housing shortfall is estimated at nearly 400,000 beds, as high rents and limited campus residences leave some students struggling to attend classes. Digital Childhood: The government plans legislation to bar children under 15 from social media and restrict smartphones in primary schools. Hearing Care: Princess Lalla Asmaa and Rwanda’s First Lady opened Rwanda’s first dedicated hearing diagnosis and rehabilitation centre through a Morocco-led partnership. Heritage: Moroccan professionals are taking part in a new Italy–Africa training course to help prevent antiquities trafficking. Travel: Taghazout is drawing British holidaymakers seeking more affordable winter sun, with resorts, beaches and surf among its attractions.

Digital Childhood: Morocco’s 2026–2031 government program proposes barring under-15s from social media and some online games, limiting smartphone use in primary schools and adding digital-safety education. Tangier Tourism: Four Seasons plans a 99-room coastal resort, including standalone villas, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar; it would be the brand’s fourth Moroccan destination. Heritage Protection: Moroccan professionals are among participants in a new Italy–Africa training program on documenting collections, researching provenance and preventing antiquities trafficking. Literary Exchange: Safi’s International Poetry Festival is joining a gathering of 10 literature and poetry festivals from Europe, Africa and Asia. Research Links: Seven UM6P doctoral candidates will conduct part of their research with US universities and medical institutions through the Fulbright Joint Supervision Program.

Architecture & Heritage: Rabat will host the Africa Architecture Forum on December 8–9, bringing the continent’s design community together to discuss sustainable cities, cultural identity and heritage. Animation: Moroccan creators are pushing for training that meets studios’ needs and draws on local stories, including a children’s series about pioneering aviator Touria Chaoui. Creative Industries: Morocco’s 2027 budget allocates MAD 2 billion to the media sector. Tourism & Tradition: Imlil Valley faces the challenge of welcoming visitors while preserving local traditions. Music & Culture: Fez’s Sufi Culture Festival has opened its 17th edition, while Moroccan-Dutch artist Hakim El Amrani explores nature as a shared language and Seffarine’s “Abaraz” celebrates roots music.

Human Rights: Sahrawi prisoner Abdallah Lakhfaouni staged a 48-hour warning hunger strike at Kenitra Prison, his family says, protesting alleged mistreatment and restricted access to education, exercise and medical care. Education: Morocco’s 2027 budget plans 34,454 new public-sector jobs, including 600 posts to regularize doctoral graduates in education; meanwhile, 70,266 civil servants are expected to retire by 2030, nearly 40% of them in education. Animation: At SACC 2026, Moroccan creators highlighted studio-focused training and a need for more skilled animators to bring local history and heritage to screens. Architecture: Rabat will host the Africa Architecture Forum in December, with discussions planned on sustainable design, local materials and how to reflect the continent’s cultural identity in its rapidly growing cities.

Moroccan Roots Abroad: Israeli election challenger Gadi Eisenkot is drawing on his Moroccan-Jewish heritage to connect with voters in communities where Moroccan culture has shaped music, cinema and politics. Animation & Storytelling: Moroccan creators at Sharjah’s animation conference called for Arab-African co-productions and more industry-focused training. Their work is also bringing Moroccan history to young audiences, including the story of aviation pioneer Touria Chaoui. Media & Digital Life: Morocco’s draft 2027 budget proposes nearly MAD 1.8 billion for public audiovisual services and MAD 247 million for press institutions, alongside plans to restrict under-15s’ access to social media. Separately, Google.org is funding digital-safety education for young people across the region, including in Morocco. Heritage & Travel: Morocco’s Imlil Valley is balancing tourism with local traditions, while Fez’s Sufi Culture Festival and Seffarine’s roots music spotlight the country’s living musical heritage.

Animation & Heritage: Moroccan producer Ali Rguigue used SACC 2026 to spotlight demand for industry-led animation training and stories rooted in local history. His projects include children’s series about pioneering pilot Touria Chaoui and Morocco’s heritage; African and Arab studios also called for more co-productions. Media & Families: Morocco’s 2027 draft budget sets aside nearly MAD 1.8 billion for public audiovisual services and MAD 247 million for press support, while proposing to bar under-15s from social media and dangerous online games. Music & Tradition: Fez’s 17th Sufi Culture Festival has opened, while Seffarine’s “Abaraz” celebrates Moroccan roots music. Emerging Artists: Salon Émergences 2026 is set to showcase 50 rising artists in Morocco.

Youth & Digital Life: Morocco’s government is weighing a social-media ban for children under 15, putting online safety and young people’s access to platforms in focus. Arts & Heritage: Fez’s Sufi Culture Festival opened its 17th edition, while Marrakech’s poetry festival wrapped its eighth; Seffarine’s “Abaraz” also brought roots music into the spotlight. Emerging Artists: Salon Émergences is set to showcase 50 rising artists, adding to a lively season for Morocco’s creative scene. Tourism & Tradition: Imlil Valley faces the challenge of welcoming visitors while protecting local customs and community life.