Morocco - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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City Name

Rabat

Morocco

February 11, 2026

Rabat 9:23 pm

16°C

Archaeologists at the entrance of the Contrebandiers (Smugglers) Cave, some 12 miles from the Moroccan capital, Rabat, Sept. 18, 2021.

Culture

Fossil discovery repositions Morocco at center of human evolution 800,000 years ago

Once overlooked, Morocco has emerged as a focal point of human prehistory, with new discoveries and a landmark report reshaping what we know about our species’ evolution.

An emergency vehicle drives through flood waters as residents are evacuated and relocated to other towns as preventive and emergency evacuations are carried out to move residents living near flood-prone areas following the weather alert and the rise in the water level of the Loukkos River, with flooding expected in the coming days, in Ksar El Kebir on Feb. 1, 2026.

Storm Leonardo displaces 140,000 as heavy floods hit northern Morocco

Heavy rains from the storm have flooded northern Morocco, prompting mass evacuations and straining emergency services.

From Egypt to Lebanon: What’s at stake for regional states on Trump’s visa ban list?

The State Department claimed that citizens from the affected countries are more likely to use social welfare services at a high rate.

A customer browses books at a bookshop in the Moroccan capital Rabat on August 9, 2018. On the main arteries of old Rabat, dozens of itinerant booksellers offer books in French, Arabic, and sometimes in English, up to ten times cheaper than their originals. Despite being prohibited, the pirated-books market is largely tolerated in cities across the North African kingdom. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Morocco’s next generation of writers fights for a place on the shelf

A new book fair in Casablanca spotlights the country’s rising talent and the obstacles that still define Morocco’s fragmented publishing world.

Latest News

Morocco’s markets rise as World Cup spending fuels largest IPO in decades

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - AUGUST 20: In this handout image from Populous, digital renderings of the proposed Stade Hassan II stadium in Morocco, projected to be the largest football stadium in the world with 115,000 capacity are depicted on August 20, 2024 in Casablanca, Morocco. The stadium design is by Populous and Oulalou + Choi (Photo by Populous via Handout/Getty Images)

Culture

World Cup: Iran fumes over LGBTQ+ themes as Jordan qualifies for first time

A fan waves a Pride flag before the soccer match between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers at Lumen Field, on June 3, 2023, in Seattle, Washington.

Spain, Morocco dismantle drone network flying hashish across border

The Civil Guard, in a joint operation with the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie, has dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to smuggling hashish into Spain using drones, on Nov. 11, 2025.

Naima Morelli

In Rome, reporting on Middle East culture

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Demonstrators shoot slogans and hold a banner showing a portrait of Omar Radi, a Moroccan journalist detained over tweet criticising judge, during a demonstration, on December 28, 2019, in the city of Rabat. (Photo by STR / AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Solidarity swells in Morocco after crackdown on free expression

Moroccan journalist Omar Radi has been released pending trial in March, but other YouTubers, rappers and students remain in jail for criticizing the king and the regime.

Moroccan YouTubers forced to silence

A day after Mohammed Sekkaki recorded a witty rant against the king and uploaded it to YouTube, Moroccan police raided his home and arrested him.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a news conference at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 20, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RC26FD9RQLKO

Intel: How Israel — and Netanyahu — stand to gain from Pompeo's Morocco visit

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Morocco for a one-day trip aimed boosting ties with a country that the State Department deems a "critical partner" across a range of issues ahead of the visit.

Migrants queue in line, during the second phase of a campaign to regularize illegal migrants living in Morocco, in Rabat, on December 15, 2016. / AFP / FADEL SENNA (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

How bus ban reflects Morocco's broader migration policy

The well-known Moroccan bus company CTM denies accusations that it prevents "Africans" from boarding some of its buses.

Israel’s soft power victim of Netanyahu’s policies

The absence of Israel from the Paris Peace Forum reflects the spirit of its leadership, belittling multinational initiatives and neglecting soft power tools.

Moroccan activists hold the poster of Hajar Raissouni, a journalist charged with fornication and abortion, during a protest outside the Rabat tribunal, Morocco September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal - RC16585AAC30

Debate on individual freedom reopened in Morocco

The case of journalist Hajar Raissouni reopened the debate on individual freedoms in Morocco, and revived calls to annul the law chapters that criminalize them.

Palestinians seek Egypt’s support to join free trade pact

Palestinians are anxiously awaiting admittance to an Arab free trade agreement that should help reduce their economic dependence on Israel.

Young Moroccan activists rally for climate action

Morocco is already taking big steps to combat climate change, but young people want their country to do more, starting with addressing the local problems that limit public engagement.

Moroccan activists hold signs in solidarity with Hajar Raissouni, a journalist charged with fornication and abortion, during a protest outside the Rabat tribunal, Morocco September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal - RC18C4FF30F0

Moroccan sex 'outlaws' protest criminalization of sex outside marriage

Following a Moroccan journalist's arrest for an alleged abortion and extramarital sex, thousands have signed an online petition to end the state's criminalization of sex outside marriage.

Moroccan king announces plan to promote social, economic equality

As Morocco's king marks 20 years on the throne, he's preparing a plan designed to aid the poor, largely through education.

A girl drinks water from a tap inside a refugee camp in Baghdad September 27, 2007. About 70 families lived in a refugee camp after they were displaced from their homes because of the sectarian violence, the Red Crescent organization said. REUTERS/Mahmoud Raouf Mahmoud (IRAQ) - GM1DWGBBQSAA

Geopolitics delay action while climate change threatens to parch Mideast

The Middle East and North Africa region faces serious water risks, but experts say the collective action needed to address the problem is still far off.

Moroccan medical students protest privatization of medical education

The government’s decision to privatize medical education has caused protests among medical students in public schools that have been ongoing since late March.