Business Traveler, April 2020
A P R I L 2 0 2 0 b u s i n e s s t r a v e l e r u s a c o m C O V E R S T O R Y Those flying privately will appreciate the new flagship Jetex VIP Terminal at Marrakech Menara Airport the latest terminal in the bunch that also includes Casablanca Agadir and Rabat and a smattering of other locations in Africa Morocco sees more than 10000 private jet movements annually and the private terminal caters to the expectations of these travelers with privacy attendant service and a modern facility furnished with designer pieces by Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid Morocco is no stranger to business travelers Besides tourism the country is a major exporter of agricultural products and a hub for mining operations It is now actively attracting corporations to open their continental headquarters here most recent among them is Orange Group formerly France Télécom that is building its regional offices in Casablanca Finance City CFC the new business center of Moroccos economic capital Africa is the future of Orange Stéphane Richard Oranges CEO told a reporter for Paris based The Africa Report Setting up in Dakar rather than Abidjan would have made the Ivorian side jealous and vice versa Casablanca has become a communications hub in Africa that meets all our expectations Since the US Morocco Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 2006 overall annual bilateral trade has increased by more than 250 percent The United States is Moroccos fourth largest trading partner and second largest foreign investor Company names populating Moroccos global business listings include Faurecia Resolution Call Hilti Comdata Menara Holding Teleperformance DHL Express Decathlon EM Lyon Business School Casablanca Payment Center for Africa Averda Societe Generale Africa Technologies Services Alten Chaabi LLD Hyundai among others SPEEDING UP AND SLOWING DOWN Whether heading here for business or pleasure truly seeing Morocco should entail forays into the great ergs or deserts edging the Sahara as well as visits to the countrys four Imperial Cities of Meknes Marrakech Rabat and Fez Tangier is the great port city on the Mediterranean and connected to Moroccos capital Rabat as well as Casablanca by a new French built TGV high speed rail service that launched in 2018 Trains depart from each end around the hour mark from 6 AM to 9 PM The 225 mile journey takes approximately two hours at speeds that reach up to 186 mph cutting in half the previous travel time CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Moroccos medieval tanneries turn animal hides into works of art Travelers can take camel treks into the erg for hours or days Moroccan woman filling water jugs to take back to her village The Roman ruins of Volubilis near Meknes dates from the 3rd century BC and was once the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania 1 9
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
