UK-Morocco Trade & Investment Forum 2018

On 27th March, at Mansion House in the City of London, a senior delegation of ministers from the Government of Morocco and Moroccan agencies met with high-level British representatives from both the public and private sector.

HE Mohamed Boussaid, Minister for Finance and Economy, delivered the keynote talking about the similarities between the two nations and the opportunities that exist for Morocco and the UK to work closely together in the future.

His words echoed those of Baroness Fairhead CBE, UK Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion as well as those from Dame Fiona Woolf, Lord Mayor Locum Tenens of the City of London.

Amongst plenary sessions on bilateral trade opportunities between the UK and Morocco, growth sectors for Morocco and renewable energy, London and Casablanca Stock Exchanges delivered a spotlight session on deepening capital markets, whilst B2B and B2G networking took place in the margins.

The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State for the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office, closed the day but bringing the narrative full circle back to the huge number of opportunities that exist between the two countries in the near, medium and long term.

We would like to thank all our sponsors, without whom this even could not have taken place:

BMCE Bank, Shell, Attijariwafa Bank, SIST British Education, Royal Air Maroc, Gazelle Advisory Group and Oxford Business Group

PROGRAMME

0800-0915: Registration & Refreshments

0915-0945: Opening Remarks

·         Atam Sandhu, Chief Executive, DMA

·         HE Mounia Boucetta, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

·         HE Abdesselam Aboudrar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the UK

·         Alderman Dame Fiona Woolf DBE DL, Lord Mayor Locum Tenens

·         Nikhil Rathi, CEO, London Stock Exchange

·         HMA Thomas Reilly, British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco

·         Baroness Fairhead CBE, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, UK Department for International Trade (DIT)

INDUSTRY AND DEVELOPMENT VIDEO

0945-1000: Keynote Address

·         HE Mohamed Boussaid, Minister for Finance and Economy

1000-1130: Session 1 – Bilateral Business and Trade Cooperation

Chair: The Lord Sheikh

·         Othman El Ferdaous, Secretary of State for Industry, Investment Trade and the Digital Economy

·         Dr Andrew Murrison MP, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Morocco

·         Jason Ivory, Director of Trade Morocco, UK Department for International Trade (DIT)

BMCE VIDEO

·         Mohammed Afrine, CEO, BMCE Bank International

Q&A Session

1130-1200: Refreshments Break

1200-1330: Session 2 –  Current Industries and Growth Opportunities

Chair: Dr Najat Benchiba, Founder, Gazelle Advisor Group

·         Jamal Belarach, Vice President, General Confederation of Enterprises (CGEM)

·         Marie-Alexandra Veilleux-Laborie, Country Director, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

·         Victoria Bacon, Director of Brand and Business Development, Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)

·         Edwin Wyllie, Principal Founder, SIST Marrakesh Academy

·         Tarik Seddik, Director, Department of Tourism

Q&A Session

1330-1400: Spotlight on Capital Markets

·         Hamid Tawfiki, President, Casablanca Stock Exchange

·         Antonella Amadei, Head of Global Development Market, London Stock Exchange

1400-1500: Networking lunch

1500-1615: Session 3 – Environment and Renewable Energy

Chair: Sir Henry Bellingham MP, Former Minister for Africa

·         Amina Benkhardra, Director, National Bureau of Petroleum and Mines (ONHYM)

·         Tarik Hamane, Executive Director, Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Development (MASEN)

Q&A Session

1615-1630: Closing Remarks

·         Atam Sandhu, Chief Executive, DMA

·         HE Mohamed Boussaid, Minister for Finance and Economy

·         The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State, UK Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO)

1630-1800: Gala Drinks Reception