International Building Show: An Edition Confirming Morocco's Attractiveness
10 November 2010
Read by 1755 persons
"The construction sector is among the priority sectors of the national economy, given the number of jobs created this year, which is close to 109,000 positions, the volume of investments made, and the efforts made to encourage investment in this sector.
" This is evidenced by the amount of foreign direct investment, which reached 1.53 billion dirhams in the first half of the year," said Abdeslam El Mesbahi in his speech. This has been achieved thanks to the State's policy on housing and urban planning through the development of public-private partnerships, the creation of new cities and urban areas, and the establishment of guarantee funds to facilitate access to housing for low-income families, he stressed. The French Ambassador to Morocco, Bruno Joubert, highlighted the Kingdom's proactive policy, through various social housing programs, the creation of new cities, and major infrastructure projects, which has resulted in a continuous increase in investment in construction (+60% since 2005), reaching 118 billion dirhams in 2009. "The share of French investment is not negligible since the construction-mining sector represents more than 7% of the total amount of French FDI received by Morocco last year," he stressed.
It should also be noted that the 13th edition of the SIB is an opportunity to demonstrate the Kingdom's growing attractiveness as a destination of choice for international investors. Moreover, out of the 600 exhibitors participating in this major event, 326 are from other countries. A tour of the show is enough to realize the diversity of foreign offerings and the fierce competition expected between delegations from various participating countries. Several countries have reserved pavilions to showcase their expertise and accumulated know-how in the construction sector, namely France, the guest of honor of this edition, whose delegation includes 62 exhibitors, Spain, which is strongly represented, Belgium, Portugal, Egypt... Not to mention operators from other countries exhibiting separately alongside national exhibitors.
B2B meetings are also on the agenda, with each delegation having already prepared a rich program of meetings and visits to construction sites or factories. It should also be noted that a large part of the participating companies are SMEs looking for distributors, local partners, or specifiers to sell their products. Finally, the week of November 1-7 promises to be promising for the various participants, who remain confident and satisfied with their participation.
"Unlike Europe, the Maghreb, especially Morocco, has not suffered from the global economic crisis like Europe. Currently, major construction projects are underway, while other projects are in the pipeline," Olivier Epp, Deputy Export Director of the Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told us. He added: "What interests Moroccan companies from Alsace, which came in large numbers this year, are high-end residential or tourism projects."
The same enthusiasm is shared by other exhibitors from France. "Through our participation in the SIB, we aim to establish our presence in Morocco through our subsidiary created in 2009 and to present innovative solutions in waterproofing, road construction, roofing, and photovoltaics," says Laurent Kosman, director of Soprema Maroc. "Major French construction groups are present in Morocco and already bring their know-how and international expertise. Furthermore, numerous French SMEs in the sector also contribute to the dynamism of this strategic market, which is particularly in demand for innovations and the most advanced technologies: construction materials, energy and technical equipment, automation, and IT," estimates Bruno Joubert.
On the Moroccan side, exhibitors remain confident despite the decrease in activity recorded in some sectors, including construction materials, which show declining results due to the slowdown in construction projects. "As producers of construction materials, we are looking for new national and international partners," said Hassan Squalli, deputy director of Sicmaco, the only representative from the Oriental region.
He also indicated that the construction materials sector has seen a drop in sales, especially in sanitation and road products, while those intended for the building segment have seen a slight increase in sales. One thing is certain: Morocco, by relaunching social housing, providing it with a ten-year plan (2010-2020), and maintaining its policy of establishing new cities, offers significant opportunities for local operators and foreign investors. Also, the organization of this major event constitutes the basis for promoting and attracting investment, as well as an opportunity to discover new products in order to introduce new techniques and solutions for better energy efficiency.
The French Experience
This 13th edition also includes a rich scientific program focusing on two major themes: "Social Housing" and "New Cities," as part of the 4th edition of "Convergence Habitat et Urbanisme 2010," held on the sidelines of the event. Since France is being honored, Morocco wants to benefit from this country's long experience in these areas of activity. Nearly twenty experts are participating in the round tables organized for this occasion to discuss with their Moroccan counterparts. These French operators in the sector (large groups, SMEs, and institutions) are expected to share their expertise in the field of new cities and social housing and thus affirm their willingness to accompany Morocco in major urban development projects. These meetings will also be an opportunity to establish lasting partnerships between French and Moroccan organizations.
Published on November 3, 2010
Posted online on November 10, 2010
lematin.ma
" This is evidenced by the amount of foreign direct investment, which reached 1.53 billion dirhams in the first half of the year," said Abdeslam El Mesbahi in his speech. This has been achieved thanks to the State's policy on housing and urban planning through the development of public-private partnerships, the creation of new cities and urban areas, and the establishment of guarantee funds to facilitate access to housing for low-income families, he stressed. The French Ambassador to Morocco, Bruno Joubert, highlighted the Kingdom's proactive policy, through various social housing programs, the creation of new cities, and major infrastructure projects, which has resulted in a continuous increase in investment in construction (+60% since 2005), reaching 118 billion dirhams in 2009. "The share of French investment is not negligible since the construction-mining sector represents more than 7% of the total amount of French FDI received by Morocco last year," he stressed.
It should also be noted that the 13th edition of the SIB is an opportunity to demonstrate the Kingdom's growing attractiveness as a destination of choice for international investors. Moreover, out of the 600 exhibitors participating in this major event, 326 are from other countries. A tour of the show is enough to realize the diversity of foreign offerings and the fierce competition expected between delegations from various participating countries. Several countries have reserved pavilions to showcase their expertise and accumulated know-how in the construction sector, namely France, the guest of honor of this edition, whose delegation includes 62 exhibitors, Spain, which is strongly represented, Belgium, Portugal, Egypt... Not to mention operators from other countries exhibiting separately alongside national exhibitors.
B2B meetings are also on the agenda, with each delegation having already prepared a rich program of meetings and visits to construction sites or factories. It should also be noted that a large part of the participating companies are SMEs looking for distributors, local partners, or specifiers to sell their products. Finally, the week of November 1-7 promises to be promising for the various participants, who remain confident and satisfied with their participation.
"Unlike Europe, the Maghreb, especially Morocco, has not suffered from the global economic crisis like Europe. Currently, major construction projects are underway, while other projects are in the pipeline," Olivier Epp, Deputy Export Director of the Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told us. He added: "What interests Moroccan companies from Alsace, which came in large numbers this year, are high-end residential or tourism projects."
The same enthusiasm is shared by other exhibitors from France. "Through our participation in the SIB, we aim to establish our presence in Morocco through our subsidiary created in 2009 and to present innovative solutions in waterproofing, road construction, roofing, and photovoltaics," says Laurent Kosman, director of Soprema Maroc. "Major French construction groups are present in Morocco and already bring their know-how and international expertise. Furthermore, numerous French SMEs in the sector also contribute to the dynamism of this strategic market, which is particularly in demand for innovations and the most advanced technologies: construction materials, energy and technical equipment, automation, and IT," estimates Bruno Joubert.
On the Moroccan side, exhibitors remain confident despite the decrease in activity recorded in some sectors, including construction materials, which show declining results due to the slowdown in construction projects. "As producers of construction materials, we are looking for new national and international partners," said Hassan Squalli, deputy director of Sicmaco, the only representative from the Oriental region.
He also indicated that the construction materials sector has seen a drop in sales, especially in sanitation and road products, while those intended for the building segment have seen a slight increase in sales. One thing is certain: Morocco, by relaunching social housing, providing it with a ten-year plan (2010-2020), and maintaining its policy of establishing new cities, offers significant opportunities for local operators and foreign investors. Also, the organization of this major event constitutes the basis for promoting and attracting investment, as well as an opportunity to discover new products in order to introduce new techniques and solutions for better energy efficiency.
The French Experience
This 13th edition also includes a rich scientific program focusing on two major themes: "Social Housing" and "New Cities," as part of the 4th edition of "Convergence Habitat et Urbanisme 2010," held on the sidelines of the event. Since France is being honored, Morocco wants to benefit from this country's long experience in these areas of activity. Nearly twenty experts are participating in the round tables organized for this occasion to discuss with their Moroccan counterparts. These French operators in the sector (large groups, SMEs, and institutions) are expected to share their expertise in the field of new cities and social housing and thus affirm their willingness to accompany Morocco in major urban development projects. These meetings will also be an opportunity to establish lasting partnerships between French and Moroccan organizations.
Published on November 3, 2010
Posted online on November 10, 2010
lematin.ma
