Events
Book Launch Conference : the Oxford Handbook of the Moroccan Economy
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The launch of The Oxford Handbook of the Moroccan Economy marks a major milestone in both scholarly research and policy debate on Morocco’s development trajectory. As the first Oxford Handbook fully dedicated to the Moroccan economy, the volume brings together 53 leading scholars and policy practitioners across 34 chapters, offering the most comprehensive and analytically grounded assessment of Morocco’s economic evolution from 1960 to 2025.
The Handbook moves beyond descriptive accounts to examine the structural drivers of Morocco’s transformation, with a focus on productivity dynamics, economic diversification, industrial policy, and institutional change. It combines in-depth sectoral analyses, covering agriculture, energy and the green transition, automotive, and aeronautics, with cross-cutting perspectives on private sector development, innovation, and integration into global value chains.
While highlighting Morocco’s progress as one of Africa’s most dynamic economies, the volume also provides a critical assessment of the limits of this transformation, particularly in terms of domestic spillovers, technological upgrading, private investment, and the creation of quality jobs. In doing so, it identifies the contours of a new phase in Morocco’s development trajectory, centered on higher value-added production and stronger capabilities.
The launch event will bring together contributors, policymakers, and international experts to engage with the Handbook’s core findings and to reflect on the strategic choices shaping Morocco’s next phase of economic transformation.
AGENDA
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome Coffee |
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Welcoming remarks Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South |
| 09:45 – 11:00 | PART I. Context and History
Panel 1: Historical and Political Foundations of Morocco’s Development Moderator: Abdelaaziz Ait Ali, Head of Research in Economics, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South Arkebe Oqubay, British Academy Global Professor, SOAS University of London Fathallah Oualalou, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South |
| 11:00 – 11:15 | Coffee Break |
| 11:15 – 12:15 | PART II. Macroeconomy and Financing
Panel 2: Macroeconomic Policy Framework Moderator: Badr Mandri, Economist, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 4: Monetary policy and the Moroccan economy », Faiçal Hossaini and Oumayma Bourhriba Presented by: Faiçal Hossaini, Academic associate, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat
« Chapter 5: Fiscal policy in Morocco », Idriss El Abbassi, Said Tounsi, and Aziz Ragbi Presented by: Idriss El Abbassi, Professor of economics, Mohammed V University |
| 12:15 – 13:45 | Lunch |
| 13:45 – 14:45 | Panel 3: Financial and Banking Industries Moderator: Larabi Jaidi, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 7 : The financial and banking industry in Morocco » Presented by: Mohammed Benmoussa, Affiliate Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat
« Chapter 8 : Firms' access to finance in Morocco », Kenza Benhima, Linah Shimi, and Yassine Slaoui Presented by: Linah Shimi, Research Economist, Bank Al-Maghrib |
| 14:45 – 15:45 | Panel 4: External Sector and Economic Diplomacy Moderator: Oumayma Bourhriba, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 6 : The external sector of the Moroccan economy » Presented by: Badr Mandri, Economist, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 9 : Morocco's economic diplomacy and development » Presented by: Mounia Boucetta, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South |
| 16:00 – 16:15 | Coffee Break |
| 16:15 – 17:30 | Panel 5: Demographic, Green and Digital Transitions Moderator: Hamza Saoudi, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 10 : The demographic transition and the Moroccan economy » Presented by: Aziz Ajbilou, Full Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat
« Chapter 16 : Climate change, environmental sustainability, and Moroccan green transition », Rim Berahab and Sabrine Emran Presented by: Sabrine Emran, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 34 : Development of the ICT Sector and the Digitization of Morocco», Jaldi Abdessalam Saad and Bensaoud Raja Presented by: Bensaoud Raja, Jurist and Co-founder, Independent scholar |
Friday, April 10, 2026 | |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome Coffee |
| 09:30 – 10:30 | PART III. Economic development
Panel 6 : Regional and Urban Transformation Moderator: Fahd Azaroual, Economist, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 13: Regional economic development in Morocco », Eduardo A. Haddad and Mahmoud Arbouch Presented by: Mahmoud Arbouch, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 14: Urban policy and transformation in Morocco », Khadija Karibi, Hassane Kharmich, and Khalid El Harrouni Presented by: Khadija Karibi, Professor, National School of Architecture, Rabat |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Coffee Break |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Panel 7 : Growth, Structural Transformation, and Productive Capacity Moderator: Arkebe Oqubay, British Academy Global Professor, SOAS University of London
Speakers: « Chapter 11: Development of private sector in Morocco », Abdelaaziz Ait Ali and Youssef El Jai Presented by: Abdelaaziz Ait Ali, Head of Research Department, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 15 : Growth and structural transformation in Morocco », Karim El Aynaoui and Hinh T. Dinh Presented by: Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 24: Composition and performance of the Moroccan manufacturing sector », Taoufik Abbad and Karim El Mokri Presented by: Taoufik Abbad, Deputy Director, Macroeconomics and Forecasting, Ministry of Economy and Finance |
| 12:00 – 13:15 | PART IV. Social development
Panel 8: Education, Labour Market Structure, and Informality Moderator: Dorothée Boccanfuso, Full Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
Speakers: « Chapter 17: Morocco's education sector », Aomar Ibourk and Tayeb Ghazi Presented by: Tayeb Ghazi, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 19: Structure of the labour market and labour relations in Morocco », Aomar Ibourk, Karim El Aynaoui, and Tayeb Ghazi Presented by: Aomar Ibourk, Professor, Cadi Ayyad University
« Chapter 20: The informal sector in Morocco », Hamza Saoudi and Adnane Lahzaoui Presented by: Hamza Saoudi, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South |
| 13:15 – 14:15 | Lunch |
| 14:15 – 15:30 | Panel 9: Inequality, Health, and Gender Dynamics Moderator: Aziz Ajbilou, Full Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat
Speakers: « Chapter 18 : Growth-poverty-monetary inequality nexus of Morocco », Touhami Abdelkhalek and Dorothée Boccanfuso Presented by: Touhami Abdelkhalek, Full Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat
« Chapter 21: The health sector in Morocco», Meriem Oudmane and Youssef Bouazizi Presented by: Meriem Oudmane, Professor (HDR), National School of Business and Management, Casablanca
« Chapter 22: Gender dynamics and empowerment in Morocco » Presented by: Nouzha Chekrouni, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | PART V. Industrialization and services
Panel 10 : Manufacturing and Industrial Policy Moderator: Saloi El Yamani, Economist, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 25 : Moroccan industrial policy » Presented by: Ilyes Boumahdi, Head of division, Evaluation of Sectoral Policies, Ministry of Economy and Finance
« Chapter 29: Moroccan automotive and aeronautics industries » Presented by: Larabi Jaïdi, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South |
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Coffee Break |
| 17:00 – 18:15 | Panel 11 : Sectoral Deep Dive Moderator: Rim Berahab, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South
Speakers: « Chapter 26 : Phosphate and fertilizer industry in Morocco » Presented by: Henri-Louis Vedie, Professor Emeritus, HEC Paris
« Chapter 27: Textile and Apparel Industry in Morocco » Presented by: Fahd Azaroual, Economist, Policy Center for the New South
« Chapter 28 : The Handicraft Sector in Morocco », Mariem Liouaeddine, Zakaria Mansouri, and Mohammed Bijou Presented by: Mariem Liouaeddine, Professor, Ibn Tofail University
« Chapter 30: Transformation of Agriculture in Morocco», Fatima Ezzahra Mengoub, Isabelle Tsakok, and Hassan Serghini Presented by: Fatima Ezzahra Mengoub, Chief Agroeconomist, OCP Foundation
« Chapter 31: The Moroccan Fishing Sector and Sustainable Development » Presented by: Abdelkabir Kamili, Academic Assistant, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
« Chapter 33: The Tourism Industry in Morocco» Presented by: Mounssif Aderkaoui, Affiliate Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat |
| 18:15 – 18:30 | Concluding remarks Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South |
