Morocco’s government has announced the launch of a projects aimed at improving access to health care, “RAMED” is a public health care system that covers underprivileged populations that are not eligible for mandatory health insurance. This system now enables the beneficiaries to have access to health care in public hospitals and state-owned health services...
An upcoming festival in France will feature contemporary photography from some very talented Moroccan artists. Middle East Online has the full story. The festival of Mediterranean photography “PHOTOMED”, a new cultural event of the south-eastern France, will highlight Moroccan Photography during its second edition scheduled from May 24 to June 17. PhotoMed will be...
The small town of Taliouine in southern Morocco is home to the country’s largest saffron fields. In many countries saffron is revered as a mystical spice with religious connotations. Despite being known as one of the world’s most expensive spices, farmers earn only a small profit from huge sales around the world. The production...
Morocco has been producing excellent wine for a long time, and the various vintages are now being recognized by a worldwide audience. Many of the region’s wineries are accessible to visitors. The Daily Meal praises Morocco as one of “8 Budget-Friendly Wine Tasting Destinations” around the world. Cafe Clock friend Gail Leonard of Fez...
Organized for the 19th year consecutively, the Rally Maroc Classic / The Road of the Heart is a “must rendez vous” for the international classic and prestige GT cars amateurs. Passionated by his Rally and by this country, Jean Francois Rageys, the rally creator, has raised the event to the highest level of organization,...
The world renowned Louvre museum in Paris is greatly expanding its Islamic Art display, giving the collection its own dedicated wing. Experts are saying this is a watershed moment for the art world. Moroccan art will be among the treasures featured in these stunning new exhibits. The National provides the full story. As the Louvre prepares...
MARRAKESH — No one here can remember ever entering the cisterns beneath the ruins of Koutoubia, the great 12th-century mosque. So unlocking them as part of the 4th Arts Biennale of Marrakesh has created a buzz here, worthy, in the words of one visitor, of the opening of Ali Baba’s cave. Built as rainwater reservoirs in...
Morocco will host the continental qualifier for the London 2012 Olympic Games from 16-18 March 2012 in Marrakech. The three-day championship will give birth to the continental representatives for the quadrennial games. Most African countries have confirmed their participation in the championship. http://www.starafrica.com/en/more-sports/detail-news/view/morocco-hosts-wrestling-olympic-qualifie-222320.html
The work of three esteemed Moroccan painters is now on display at Art Morocco, an exhibition at Meem Gallery in Dubai. This collection represents some of the most acclaimed artwork to come out of Morocco in the 20th century. Artdaily.org has the full story. Art Morocco, held at Meem Gallery this spring, presents the...
The Moroccan government is preparing to set up a social solidarity fund aimed at supporting the poor. The plans were withdrawn from the 2012 finance bill by the former government because of the challenging economic situation. But the current government has reintroduced the measure into this year’s budget. Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane issued...
Morocco has long been known as a fantastic place to film movies, due both to its stunning scenery and developed infrastructure. However no location is without challenges, and in the case of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, it was the weather. The Chronicle Herald provides details. Flash floods and a tidal wave didn’t deter...
Morocco’s booming real estate sector continues to expand, with affordable housing making up a large percentage of growth. The government is placing special emphasis upon making home ownership accessible to the masses. The Global Arab Network has the full story. As evidenced by an increased demand for construction materials, including a dramatic 25% rise in cement...
International Women’s Day is widely celebrated in Morocco as a recent visitor learned first hand.
On the occasion of the International Day of Theater, the Moroccan Association of ‘‘the United Comedians of Culture and Art’ ’is organizing its first edition of the Fez National Festival for Humor and Irony on March 16-18. The festival is under the supervision of the province of Fez Boulmane, in partnership with the urban...
The 8th of March is international women’s day. The UN’s theme for this year’s commemoration is the empowerment of rural women and their role in the eradication of hunger and poverty. Given the occasion, I decided to look at the situation of rural women in Morocco. As with their counterparts in developing countries, Morocco’s rural woman live...
Ibrahim and the stars. This past Sunday afternoon Cafe Clock staff and patrons were treated to a special visit from a few members of Fez’s championship winning football team, Maghreb de Fes (MAS). The players came to enjoy the Clock’s great food and lovely terrace after a dramatic Saturday night victory over local rivals...
This week Marrakech is showcasing its artistic mettle with the Biennale, an extravaganza of music, literature, and visual arts. A worldwide audience will be on hand to experience this treat. Even the New York Times has noticed. Marrakesh is already well-anchored as an exotic winter getaway for Europeans, Americans and well-heeled Moroccans. But in...
Recently a group of thinkers from the world’s faiths met in Marrakech to discuss religious issues and their place in today’s world. Bahia.org has the full story. What is spirituality? How can religious education encourage it? And what role do both religion and spirituality play in fostering human well-being? Those were among the questions...
`It doesn’t matter where you live. What matters is that you have a cause to fight for.` When people speak about US-Moroccan relations, they usually invoke politics, war on terror, religious extremism and corrupt politicians. Rarely do they mention individuals, from literature, media and poetry, who work tirelessly to bridge the cultural gap between...
Tomorrow night five Moroccan films will be shown at a special screening in Rome. ANSAmed has the full story, as well as news about a film school in Casablanca. Said and Amine dream of living in Andalusia and secretly decided to leave home, while Adil and Karim live by their wits in the streets...
The Atlas Lions of Morocco are looking to redeem themselves after a poor showing in the recent African Cup competition. They will get the chance tonight against Burkina Faso. Goal.com provides a preview. Wednesday’s friendly international encounter between Morocco and Burkina Faso at Marrakech stadium will have plenty of meaning for both sides. While...
What is a Moroccan? Oftentimes, such an easy-hard-to-answer question crosses the mind and no specific answer can be provided; for it deals with the mind, that abstract and complex entity which embodies layers and layers of variables. Worse than that is the adding of the culture “Moroccan” which is, in its turn, that whole...
The US government is initiating a new program to assist budding businessmen in Morocco. Hillary Clinton announced this venture on a recent trip to Rabat. The full story comes from allafrica.com. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the State Department’s Global Entrepreneurship Program will be launched in Morocco in the spring as...
The city of Meknes will host the first edition of the National Festival of Aissawa Art under the theme “Heritage as a Mainstay for Advanced Regionalization” on February 24-25 at Faqih Mohammed al-Manouni Hall of the Regional Directorate of Culture starting from 6:30 pm. The festival’s organizers revealed on Tuesday the rich program they...
As the number of our website posts continues to grow, we have decided to consolidate all of them in one easy to browse location. This list is constantly being updated. Clock Events Graphic Novels at the Clock 1st Clock Cup! A Clock Christmas Staff Retreat – Mountains and Monkeys Footprint of Friends all over...
We’ve recently highlighted people hitching and cycling in Morocco to raise money for charity, and now comes a man who is motorcycling through Morocco’s rugged south in order to raise money and awareness for Help for Heroes. The Telegraph has more information. Matthew Tattersall will put his love of two wheels to the test...
Moroccans are a cosmopolitan and international bunch, as demonstrated by the current interest in Italian Design at the ongoing expo in Rabat. ANSAMed has the full story. People’s interest in Italian exports is on the rise in Morocco. Further evidence for this statement was the large crowd that attended the opening of the exhibition...
Residents of Fez were jubilant yesterday after local team Maghreb Fes was victorious in Tunisia. People took the the streets waving flags and wearing bright yellow jerseys in honour of their champions. Fifa.com has the full story. There has been another shock outcome to a CAF competition, with Moroccan club Maghreb Fes lifting the CAF African Super...
Fez, also known as the spiritual city of Morocco, will host the 18th edition of the World Sacred Music Festival in June 8-16, 2012 under the theme “Re-enchanting the World”. The World Sacred Music Festival of Fez is one of Morocco’s most prominent festivals that celebrate musical diversity and cultural richness. Different nations are...
Today the famous doodle on Google’s homepage pays homage to Ibn Battuta, the legendary Moroccan explorer. IBNLive has all the details. Google recreates the long journey that Ibn Battuta undertook seven centuries ago on the doodle that it put up on its home page in the Arab countries to commemorate the birth anniversary of...
The Moroccan tourism sector remained stable in 2011 in spite of the Arab Spring and the instability it has created. A total of 9.34 million tourists visited the kingdom during the past year, creating 5.7 billion Euros in revenue. Kamal Bensouda, a Moroccan tourism official, said during a press conference on Tuesday in Casablanca...
Cafe Clock’s delicious milkshakes have long been loved by locals and travelers alike, and now we are making them even better. Abdelrazak, our master pastry inventor/chef has made ice cream from scratch, and it is being added to our milkshakes. So please join us for this wonderful new treat!
Small farming in Morocco plays a vital role in the country’s economy, however the farmers are often at the mercy of the weather and markets, and so have a difficult time. A new initiative is aimed at improving their yields and incomes. Here’s the full story from allafrica.com. A new US$9.13 million project, supported...
Hillary Clinton, former US First Lady and current Secretary of State will be visiting Morocco this week as part of a four country tour. In Morocco she will meet with the Foreign Minister and attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the new US embassy in Rabat. The full story comes fromtwocircles.net. US State Secretary Hillary...
Morocco is seen as a model for successful implementation of tourism related initiatives, and now the country is assisting one of its African brethren in achieving its own goals. A team from Kenya will soon be coming to Morocco to study the development of tourist facilities. The full story comes from allafrica.com. Kenya could soon realize her vision...
The Casablanca Fair for Books and Publishing (SIEL2012) is not only an opportunity for publishers to market their books whose appeal has waned in the last decade. The 2012 SIEL is equally a big forum for debates and discussions, notably about publishing issues and current events. The organizers of the Casablanca book fair scheduled...
Morocco is on the forefront of alternative energy, and is continuing this trend with a large order for wind turbines. The devices will be located in two places – one in the north and the other in the south. The full story comes from esi-africa.com. Siemens Energy has secured its first wind turbine orders...
There’s a new Moroccan superstar in the making - Tahra Hmamich. This talented singer from Oujda is making waves with her newest song, recently released from Lebanon. Magharebia has an interview with her. Tahra Hmamich has been singing since she was seven years old. The Moroccan artist from Oujda came to international prominence after...
Hot on the heals of our recent story of two English lads hitching to Morocco for charity, here’s another report of someone both adventurous and altruistic: Rachael McDougal of Dumfries, UK. This summer Rachael will ride through the challenging mountains of Morocco to raise money for Action Medical Research. Further details come from dgstandard.co.uk. A CYCLIST from Dumfries will...
One of the first initiatives of the new Moroccan government is a push to improve education at all levels. The goal is to make the country more competitive at the international level. Magharebia has the full details. As part of sweeping reform plans to improve Morocco’s competiveness, the government of Abdelilah Benkirane intends to overhaul the education...
As the US government prepares to build a new embassy in Rabat, they are already beginning to source the artwork which will grace its walls. The Rhode Island School of Design and the State Department’s ART in Embassies program are working together to provide art that reflects both Moroccan and American traditions. Boston.com provides...
With the 2012 London Olympics just months away, some people have already been discussing future locations for the beloved games. According to espn.com, Morocco would love to play host in the future. Morocco’s sports minister says it’s the dream of millions of Africans to host the Olympics one day. Minister Mohamed Ouzzine met with...
Usually considered to be outside of the literary mainstream, graphic novels are beginning to gain a wider following. Many recent have strong Arabic themes and designs, and are presenting this culture to a broad audience. Here at Cafe Clock we are pleased to be exhibiting a wonderful selection of prints from these novels....
Morocco’s newly elected parliament gathered for the first time on Tuesday. The Morocco News Agency provides details on this historic event. Having won the vote of confidence in Parliament on January 31, the new, democratic Benkirane Government in Morocco convened for the first formal session on February 7. To mark the occasion, King Mohammed VI chaired...
Morocco is diversifying its economy, and one area of growth is the manufacturing sector. Proof of this comes in the form of a new Renault factory near Tangiers, the largest car plant in North Africa. The BBC provides the full story. The biggest car factory in North Africa has been officially opened in Morocco...
Limon dduk (pronounced duck) are tiny, thin-skinned lemons that you often see in the medina and they make the best preserved lemons – so good you can snack on them alone, as you would olives or almonds. Unfortunately, dduk are not easy to get outside of Morocco, but if you’re in the US you...
Bollywood megastar Saif Ali Khan has been in Morocco to film his latest movie, Agent Vinod. Indian newspaper Hindustan Times provides more information. It was the first day of Agent Vinod’s shoot in Morocco. They were filming an action sequence on a boat with Saif Ali Khan taking on a king-sized baddie and his...
While Morocco’s national team might have fallen out of the African Cup, football is still alive and well in Fez. The Cafe Clock staff are laying down a challenge to their football loving friends: come play us on Friday, February 10th. We will be meeting at Cafe Clock at 3h30pm, then walking to the...
Morocco’s beautiful landscapes and bright colours have inspired many writers and artists, and are now serving as a muse for noted filmmaker Sofia Coppola. Ms. Coppola filmed an advertisement on behalf of Marni for H&M, and felt that the clothing company’s fashions went well with Morocco. The full article comes from Female First magazine. ...
Yesterday near El Jadida fifteen beautiful girls gathered to compete in the first annual Miss Morocco beauty pageant. The competition was intense, but nineteen year old Sara Moatamad from Casablanca walked away with the tiara. The full story comes from Al Arabiya News. Sara Moatamad, 19, has been named on Sunday as Morocco’s 2012...
