Under the leadership of EMA President Christian Wulff

The 5th German-Moroccan Business Forum

17 to 20 February 2015

Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca

From 17 to 20 February 2015, EMA organized a delegation trip to the Kingdom of Morocco with about 30 participating companies. This year’s motto was “Together for the strengthening of our bilateral relations”. This year’s German-Moroccan Business Forum (DMWF) took place under the leadership of EMA President Christian Wulff and led the delegation to the cities of Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca. With three conferences especially convened for the delegation as well as receptions and tours, the event offered extensive opportunities to learn about the Kingdom’s current economic policy developments and to exchange views with high-ranking local representatives and actors from the private sector and politics. Various company visits provided practical insights and showed cooperation possibilities directly on site.

Tangier – port city in constant growth

The 5th DMWF was kicked off with a conference organized in cooperation with the Tangier Chamber of Commerce and the Tangier Regional Centre for Investments – the leading institutions and contacts for the implementation of projects in Morocco. Mr. Omar Moro, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Tangier, welcomed the participants of the delegation and discussed the numerous investment opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in Morocco.

Afterwards, German delegation members presented their companies and planned investment projects in the region. The program was rounded off on the first day by a gala dinner with selected Moroccan entrepreneurs and decision-makers, which offered the opportunity to deepen the discussions of the day in a perfect atmosphere.

Thanks to presentations and a tour of the free zone of Tangier on the second day, the participants were able to see for themselves the ideal location conditions of the free trade zone. The visit then led to the port complex of Tangier Med, the international logistics hub of North Africa. Visits to companies in the aviation and automotive sectors offered insights into the professional and efficient working methods of companies already located there.

Rabat – The administrative center of Morocco

The third day started with a conference in cooperation with the Moroccan investment agency AMDI and the Rabat Chamber of Commerce. Within this framework, the delegation participants had the opportunity to present their companies and planned projects to interested entrepreneurs from the capital region.

After the subsequent business lunch with B2B talks between the delegation participants and selected companies from the Rabat-Salé metropolitan area, the delegation was received in the “Technopolis” technology park and comprehensively informed by the local contacts about possible projects and investment strategies in Morocco. Cultural and historical insights were offered by a walk through the old medina of Rabat and the souq as well as visits to the most important landmarks of the World Heritage city of Rabat.

At the end of the day, the German ambassador in Morocco, Mr. Volkmar Wenzel, invited to his residence. In addition to the participants of the DMWF, the guest list included further selected German and Moroccan discussion partners. This evening reception brought the otherwise quite intensive daily program to a contemplative close.

Casablanca – The economic and industrial center of Morocco

The crowning conclusion of the delegation trip took the participants to the economic and industrial center of Morocco: Casablanca. In the presence of numerous high-ranking representatives – among others the President of the Union of Moroccan Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Idriss Haouat, and the President of the Casablanca Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Hassane Berkani – the new EMA office was inaugurated by EMA President Christian Wulff. Further information on the inauguration of the EMA office in Casablanca can be found here