Assahafa.com
The Secretary of State in charge of Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Lahcen Essaadi, said on Tuesday that Morocco is developing programs to promote handicrafts to coincide with Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 Football World Cup.
Speaking at the House of Representatives, Essaadi stressed the importance of paying special attention to the crucial role that Morocco’s ancestral heritage could play in these two international events, through the various branches and activities of the handicrafts sector.
On the economic front, he added, these sporting competitions can provide an opportunity to boost key sectors such as crafts, the social economy and tourism, in addition to attracting major investment and generating direct and indirect employment.
As for the cultural aspect, these events represent an exceptional opportunity to highlight the richness of Morocco’s heritage and local craft creativity, noted the Secretary of State.
He added that the action plan for 2025/2026 and 2030 includes developing exhibition and sales infrastructures in the form of spaces dedicated to craft products in host cities, with demonstrations enabling visitors to watch craftsmen at work, as well as mobile stands and souvenir stores in stadiums and fan zones.
Moroccan craftsmanship, with its production and service components, occupies an essential place in the national socio-economic landscape,” he pointed out.
Essaadi recalled that in 2024, exports of handicrafts exceeded MAD 1.11 billion, up 3%, reflecting the continued diversification of markets. He also noted that pottery remains the leading export, followed by carpets and traditional clothing.
With regard to the social and solidarity economy sector, the Secretary of State said that it constitutes a lever for wealth and job creation, particularly among young people and women, as well as in the rural world.
In this respect, he explained that the Ministry’s action is based on three axes (diversification and orientation of interventions to meet new challenges, structuring and organization of players by exploiting territorial potential, and boosting the social economy through the integration of new operators).
Source: map
