Mohammed VI

Tunisia
Energy minister Neila Gonji gets serious about renewables

Faced with rocketing gas prices, Tunisia's industry and energy minister will be concentrating after the summer recess on kick-starting the many solar and wind power projects that have nominally been launched in recent years but have so far come to nothing.

Morocco
Jean-Baptiste Barian appointed boss of royal residence firm Primarios

Barian, a specialist in Arab-Andalusian architecture who has worked for the Moroccan monarchy for half a century, has been appointed to run Primarios, the company tasked with furnishing and maintaining the country's royal palaces and residences.

Morocco
King's favourite construction company CMS sets sights on Inwi data centres and Attijari's HQ

Bought in 2016 by the former "king's steward" Zouhair Fassi Fehri, Construction Management Services is creating a branch dedicated to telecom infrastructures and has already approached Inwi, the operator owned by the royal holding company Al Mada.

Palace Intrigues
Emmanuel Macron, Tidjane Thiam, Mohammed VI

Intrigues big and small... Every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

France/Cameroon Emmanuel Macron's agenda in Yaoundé

Ivory Coast Ex-banker Tidjane Thiam soon in Abidjan

Morocco/France Mohammed VI and Macron fail to meet

The New Guard
Morocco, Guinea, Zimbabwe and Libya

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence reveals the next generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

MoroccoMakhzen keeping tabs on Obaid Amrane's rising star.

GuineaMamadou Diallo, from the embassy to the World Bank.

ZimbabweJohn Paradza, a key player in Mnangagwe's battle for the youth vote.

LibyeKhalid Chaouki, former Italian MP growing his Tripoli business network.

Morocco
Tarik Hamane leaves Masen to lead TotalEnergies' hydrogen plans

The head of development at the Moroccan sustainable energy agency, where he was effectively the second in command, has joined Total Eren, the renewable energies arm of French major TotalEnergies. In his new role he will develop green hydrogen production.

Morocco
Himma launches part two of national broadcasting's big shake-up

SNRT will soon complete its takeover of the cash-strapped 2M and Medi 1 TV channels in a move that gives Mohammed VI's adviser, Fouad Ali El Himma, a means to distance his rival, the king's private secretary Mounir El Majidi, from the sector.

Morocco
Princess Lalla Asmae continues hotel dreams in Rabat

Mohammed VI's sister Lalla Asmae is preparing to buy a hotel in the centre of the capital. This is very likely to be the Oumlil, an establishment ideally located opposite the Jardin d'essais and close to the royal palace.

Morocco
Spain and EU to supply border surveillance equipment to Morocco

Amid warming relations between Rabat and Madrid, Spain's development agency plans to use European funds to supply 98 thermal surveillance cameras to monitor approaches to the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, where Morocco allowed several thousand migrants to cross last year.

Morocco
OCP fails to get visas to attend the Vivatech trade fair in Paris

The giant Moroccan phosphates group has become the latest victim in the visa war raging between Paris and Rabat. Relations between the two countries are currently at a low ebb.

Morocco
Somagec enlists Israeli desalination champion to bid on mega Casablanca plant

Moroccan port construction leader has contacted Israel's desalination giant IDE Technologies with plans to make a joint bid for the construction of the Casablanca plant, which is projected to cost nearly €1bn.

Africa, UAE
The who's who of new UAE president MbZ's first phone calls to Africa

Shortly after being inaugurated president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed made personal phone calls to four African heads of state.