After feeling so welcomed in Marrakech, leaving was not easy. Our stay in Morocco had gotten off to a flying start, and curious of what more this country had to offer, we headed for Rabat. Our talented travel coordinator had booked a beautiful house by the coast just south of Rabat, and we were instantly enchanted by the beauty and tranquillity of the area.
After getting used to the beautiful view of the sea outside Rabat (follow us on Instagram @internationalbusinessproject!), we were ready to embark on company visits and catching up with the writing of the report. Being the capital of Morocco, Rabat is the home of most governmental agencies and diplomatic institutions. This meant that we had scheduled several meetings with such organisations: The Norwegian Embassy, The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) and UNICEF, to mention some.
First on our agenda was the Norwegian Embassy, and after some back-and-forth we eventually found our way to their offices in the suburbs of Rabat. Met by the Ambassador and two very helpful Norwegian representatives, we got an introduction to the Moroccan business life and essential help finding relevant persons to contact through their network. When our fruitful visit was done, we wrapped it up with a picture with the Ambassador #jazzhands.
Wednesday was spent in the fields of Fresh Royal, one of BAMA’s suppliers of blueberries. As Fresh Royal has been stationed in Morocco for over 10 years, we got to learn a lot of interesting facts about the Moroccan market from their representatives. Also, we had the pleasure of tasting lots of different types of berries, and we were allowed to eat as much as our stomachs could handle. Some of us took this more serious than others, leaving next to no room for lunch.
Recall our visit to the solar plant in our previous blog? In order to reduce their emissions and limit their energy deficit, Morocco has launched a strategy to reach 52% of renewables by 2030. The strategy is supervised by the governmental body of MASEN, aiming at 2,000 MW of solar, wind and hydro by 2020, this being a step towards the 2030 target. Luckily for us, MASEN took the time to meet us while we were here in Rabat. During our meeting, we got to learn more about their mission and the strategy of getting there. Our final report will have a section about the renewable energy strategy, so stay tuned for more ;-)
On Sunday, we are leaving for Casablanca. We already have several meetings in stall, and look forward to experiencing the financial centre of Morocco.
