Morocco’s Tough COVID Restrictions Hammer Tourism Sector

An aerial view of Marrakech, Morocco November 10, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
An aerial view of Marrakech, Morocco November 10, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
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Morocco’s Tough COVID Restrictions Hammer Tourism Sector

An aerial view of Marrakech, Morocco November 10, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
An aerial view of Marrakech, Morocco November 10, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo

Businesses working in Morocco's key tourism sector say the country's tough COVID-19 restrictions, including a full flight ban, are undermining its competitiveness compared to rival destinations.

Morocco shut its borders in late November and will only reopen them at the end of January. It has also banned new year celebrations and is enforcing its vaccine pass requirements more strictly in response to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

"These restrictions are unjustified and they have made Morocco lose tourists to Mediterranean competitors such as Egypt and Turkey," said Lahcen Zelmat, head of Morocco's hotel federation, Reuters reported.

Tourism generated $8 billion, or 7% of Morocco's economy, in 2019, but the Central Bank expects it to have made only $3.6 billion this year.

Hotels in Marrakech, the main tourist hub, have only 14% occupancy at what is normally peak season, Zelmat said.

"We fear that by the time borders reopen we will find it hard to sell Morocco due to the sudden border closures," said Emmanuelle Barat, a tour operator.

"I have received no customers for the last 10 days," said Taher Onsi, a restaurant owner in Marrakech, adding that domestic tourism could not offset the fall in foreign visitors.

The government has approved a 2,000 dirham ($216) payment to tourism workers registered with social security who have been hit by the crisis.

"This aid does not cover businesses and workers who earn their living indirectly from tourism," Onsi said.

Said Afif, a member of the scientific committee that advises the government on coronavirus, said the curbs would protect lives and the economy by keeping the pandemic under control.

Recorded daily coronavirus cases have gone from around 100 earlier this month to 1,960 last Thursday.

Morocco is Africa's most vaccinated country, having now administered two shots to 23 million people, in a total population of 36 million. Nearly three million have also had booster shots.



Aramco Inaugurates Regional Center for Sustainable Fishery Development on Abu Ali Island

tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco
tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco
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Aramco Inaugurates Regional Center for Sustainable Fishery Development on Abu Ali Island

tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco
tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco

Saudi Aramco announced on Thursday the inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

Through this collaboration, Saudi Aramco aims to highlight its investments in citizenship initiatives and its efforts to drive economic growth, support local fishermen and their livelihoods, build expertise, and adopt the best practices to enhance production and cultivate fish of marketable sizes that can compete globally.

The center is part of the company's broader efforts to protect marine life in the Arabian Gulf. It involves the establishment of a fish hatchery on Abu Ali Island in Jubail, located on the Arabian Gulf coast, designed to produce local fish species that have experienced population declines due to fishing practices and to reintroduce them into Gulf waters.

The center's operations are designed to encompass the complete fish life cycle within designated tanks, from broodstock for egg production to larval rearing using plankton produced on-site and finally to the release of juvenile fish into the Arabian Gulf. The hatchery employs advanced aquaculture technologies to ensure fish health, and it utilizes top-tier water recycling techniques to enhance performance and meet the company's circular economy objectives.

The project aligns with Saudi Aramco's mangrove plantation initiative, under which more than 43 million trees have been planted to date. Mangrove forests provide vital nursery habitats for the juvenile fish released into the Gulf, further supporting the sustainability of marine ecosystems.