King Mohammed VI Inaugurates Projects in the North
Morocco is generally thought of as being a place of dusty souks and strong traditions. It certainly isn’t thought of as a major sporting destination. Aside from the many different water sports that are popular with tourists, very little emphasis has been put on developing sports amongst members of the Moroccan community.
But all this is about to be altered. King Mohammed VI of Morocco has just set the proverbial “wheel of change” in motion by laying the foundation stone of a massive multi-sport complex down in Tangier on the 26th of March 2008. This sporting complex – which should hopefully be completed within an 18 month period of time – will be built for an estimated cost of USD 5.7 Million. He also used the occasion to inaugurate a socio-educational complex which will be built at a cost of approximately USD 823,296.
The multi sport hall promises to be a massive boost to the local sporting fraternity. It will cover some 7,719 hectares of land and will encompass a basketball court, a handball court and a volleyball court. The establishment will also have a VIP stand, a parking lot, a press stand and bleachers big enough to seat 4000 individuals. There will also be several shops housed inside the sport hall. It is hoped that the sport hall will not only improve local sports but allow the city to be able to host continental and international sporting events in the future.
The socio-educational complex inaugurated in Béni Makada is much smaller. Built on a 720 square meter area it is hoped that this complex will benefit the children in the surrounding neighborhood. The socio-educational complex is part of a large-scale anti-poverty program known as the “National Initiative for Human Development” (INDH) which is taking place in Morocco at present. The facility will feature a library, an IT room, official offices and a reading room. The INDH program has been designed to alleviate the problems of poverty, vulnerability, social exclusion and marginalization, and so it will not only help young people to become better educated but will also include the providing of housing, drinking water and health care to millions of Moroccans in the future. Some USD 18.9 Million has been earmarked to ensure that the project meets with as much success as possible.
