King Mohammed VI Presides over Presentation of Two Moroccan-Made Cars

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presides over the unveiling of the vehicles. (MAP)
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presides over the unveiling of the vehicles. (MAP)
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King Mohammed VI Presides over Presentation of Two Moroccan-Made Cars

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presides over the unveiling of the vehicles. (MAP)
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presides over the unveiling of the vehicles. (MAP)

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presided on Monday over the presentation ceremony of a model of the first Moroccan car brand and a hydrogen-powered vehicle prototype. The event was held at the Royal Palace in Rabat.

The projects, developed by Moroccan entrepreneurs, will strengthen the “Made in Morocco” label and establish the country as a competitive hub for automotive production.

Neo Motors has set up an industrial factory in Ain Aouda, southeast of the capital, to manufacture vehicles for the local market and for export, reported the MAP state news agency.

The factory is projected to produce 27,000 cars a year and create 580 jobs. Investment in the project is worth 156 million dirhams ($15.6 million).

In February 2023, the National Agency for Road Safety granted final approval for Neo Motors’ first vehicle. The company launched pre-production, with the plant’s inauguration scheduled for June 2023.

Neo Motors CEO Nassim Belkhayat said the newly unveiled car operates on benzine and is available with three doors, noting that it is the outcome of “the work of an enthusiastic team”.

The vehicle will be sold in the Moroccan market for prices ranging between 170,000-190,000 dirhams ($17,000-$19,000).

The prototype of the hydrogen vehicle, NamX, was designed in collaboration with Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, Pininfarina.

The HUV model will be supplied with hydrogen through a central tank that will be completed by six removable capsules, guaranteeing a battery capacity of up to 800 km and facilitating the hydrogen recharge in a few minutes.

The production of the car will start in late 2026 and will be sold in Morocco and exported to Europe and the US.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, King Mohammed VI honored Belkhayat and NamX President Faouzi Annajah with a medal of intellectual merit.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Industry and Trade Riad Mazour, who expressed the country’s pride in its latest car innovation.



Apple Names Insider Sabih Khan as COO

The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
TT

Apple Names Insider Sabih Khan as COO

The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)

Apple on Tuesday named insider Sabih Khan as its chief operating officer, taking over from Jeff Williams, as part of a long-planned succession.

Khan, who has been with Apple for 30 years and is currently the senior vice president of operations, will take on the new role later this month, the iPhone maker said in a statement.

Before joining Apple's procurement group in 1995, he worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics.

Williams will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee the company's design team and Apple Watch.

The design team will report directly to Cook after Williams retires late in the year.