Tanger-Med

Tanger Med Saidia Mediterranea Maroc Marokko Morocco

2009-11-02T10:06:00.000Z

Maroc : Tanger Med réalise un chiffre d'affaires de 166 MDH en 2008

2009-10-30T08:21:00.000Z

L'Autorité portuaire Tanger Med (TMPA) du Maroc a enregistré un chiffre d'affaires de 166 millions de dirhams durant l'année 2008, soit une progression mensuelle de 19% tout au long de l'année précédente.
L'activité des conteneurs, avec ses deux terminaux TC1 et TC2, détient 78% des revenus du port Tanger Med soit 130 millions Dh.
Dans les autres catégories des recettes du port Tanger Med, le pilotage détient 6% des revenus, le remorquage 4%, la sûreté/sécurité 5%, ce qui correspond à un total de chiffre d'affaires de 26 millions Dh.

Source : http://www.lesafriques.com/

MAROC Tanger med le plus grande projet 2007

2009-10-29T20:20:00.000Z

MAROC Tanger med le plus grande projet 2007
Uploaded by choukilo

ALGECIRAS PORT AT MOROCCO- ANDALUSIA EXPO

2009-10-29T09:57:00.000Z

The Port of Algeciras is taking part in these days as exhibitor at the 1st edition of Morocco-Andalusia Expo, held in Casablanca through October 1.

30/09/2009 13:00

The event is organized by the Andalusian Agency for Foreign Promotion Extenda to promote Andalusian products and services in Morocco and it develops on an exhibition space of 7,500m sq.

The Port of Algeciras is one of 200 Andalusian companies and institutions (from all major sectors of Andalusia’s production: energy, food, industry, agriculture, ports, chemical industries, environment, etc.) attending this first edition of the fair, gathering also Moroccan exhibitors such as the Regional Investment Centres of Morocco, which are the Moroccan government agencies responsible for promoting investments in different regions of the neighbouring country.

Representatives of the Port Authority Bahía de Algeciras (APBA) and its Port Community (pictured) are showing the services and potentials of Algeciras as reference port in the Strait of Gibraltar. The stand has counted today on the presence of the president and the director of the APBA, Manuel Morón and José Luis Hormaechea respectively - as well as the presidents of the Chamber of Commerce and the Port Community, Carlos Fenoy and Juan María de la Cuesta, among others. Many of the companies operating in the Port of Algeciras are also present in Casablanca.

Today, September 30, the seminar "Joint Port and Logistics System with Morocco" welcomes the joint presentation of the presidents of the ports of Algeciras and Tanger Med, Manuel Morón and Said El Hadi respectively, under the title "The Gibraltar Strait’s logistics hub: a strategic location for logistics and port cooperation”. The presidents will describe the strong collaboration that the two ports have maintained since 2005, when they signed a collaboration agreement to develop the potential of the Strait of Gibraltar as the most suitable place to establish businesses. Since then Algeciras and Tanger Med are working intensively together.

Through Algeciras Port more than 200,000 truck go annually, loaded with import and export goods as a result of the trade between Morocco and the European Union, and thanks to the effective maritime connections that link the port of Algeciras to Tangier and Tangier Med.

Further info is available at www.expoandaluciamarruecos.com

Morocco property market growth and more enquiries from British investors

2009-10-28T08:07:00.000Z

Morocco has seen a market growth in property purchase enquiries from Brits, from an average of 36 per month in 2006 to 60 per month in 2007 and more than 100 per month in 2008. Low cost airlines including Ryanair EasyJet and royal air Maroc have helped to open more business opportunity investments in Morocco, making the country increasingly accessible from the UK, the whole Europe and the north America, therefore, attracting British, Irish, French, Belgian, Dutch, American, Canadian and Middle East investors. In recognition of its increasing importance on the tourism and investment map, the Moroccan government is currently spending over $20 billion developing the country’s supporting infrastructure. New roads, rail links like TGV train and a massive airport upgrade are all underway.When considering a purchase on a popular resort complex such as in Tanger Med, the development's situation within the resort is as important as the location of the resort itself: The Views is enviably positioned just across from the new free zone international port of Tanger Med which is going to be open in July 2008, Resorts with hotels, villas, apartments and shoping centres with Andalusian-style gardens and the 5 stars hotels, making it one of the most attractive and desirable low-density plots on the entire resorts. Mediterranean beaches and the proximity to Marina Tangier and Tetouan, along with a full range of on-site resort facilities all make The Views ideal for holiday properties and international business investments.
All discerning property investors realize the importance of taking advantage of the most lucrative real estate opportunities as soon as they arise, before they become common knowledge. The International Property Investment Network Myasilah operated by Luxury Living In Morocco - Property Investment ( http://www.myasilah.com ) helps all types of investors in their quest to access up-to-the minute information on the very latest investment opportunities in the worldwide property market today especially in Morocco.
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Une magnifique illustration du dynamisme de l'économie marocaine

2009-10-26T11:59:00.000Z

Le programme de revitalisation urbaine, mené sous l'impulsion de S.M. le Roi Mohammed VI, et la réalisation du port Tanger-Med, sont une magnifique illustration du dynamisme de l'économie marocaine et de la qualité de sa gouvernance, a affirmé le vice-président de la Banque européenne d'investissement (BEI), Philippe de Fontaine Vive.

Intervenant en marge de la 3e édition du symposium Euromed-Capital Forum, tenu vendredi et samedi à Tanger, M. De Fontaine Vive a exprimé sa satisfaction pour la participation de la BEI à Tanger-Med ainsi qu'à la plate-forme de production automobile Renault, dont les travaux de construction débuteront très prochainement.

Ces deux exemples de chantiers d'envergure méritent d'être salués, du fait qu'ils montrent la voie aux pays de la rive sud de la Méditerranée, notamment en ce contexte de crise économique mondiale, a-t-il ajouté.

Les pays de la région méditerranéenne ont, en effet, un formidable effort d'investissement à mener pour assurer la croissance, soit près de 300 milliards d'euros sur 20 ans, a précisé M. De Fontaine Vive.

Ce montant est nécessaire non seulement pour transformer en atout le défi d'une démographie vigoureuse, mais aussi pour améliorer les équipements de développement socio-économique, a-t-il relevé.

Seule la mobilisation du capital privé pourra permettre le financement et les transferts de technologies nécessaires à ces besoins, a-t-il affirmé, soulignant que le capital-investissement constitue un levier particulièrement adapté à ce sujet.

Pour sa part, le président de l'Association Euromed-Capital Forum, organisatrice de cette manifestation, M. Dominique Nouvellet, s'est félicité du succès de cette 3e édition du Forum, qui a connu la participation de 250 experts, hommes d'affaires et responsables venant de 14 pays du pourtour méditerranéen.

Le choix du Maroc pour accueillir ce symposium, spécialisé dans le métier du capital-investissement, s'explique par l'existence d'une «vraie industrie de capital-investissement» dans le Royaume, qui a attiré, à titre d'exemple, près de 60% des montants investis par le fonds d'investissement méditerranéen Averroès Finance.

Créée en 2005, Euromed-Capital Forum est une association sans but lucratif siégeant à Lyon (France). Son objectif est la promotion des échanges d'information entre les différents acteurs et partenaires du capital-investissement dans la région euro-méditerranéenne, les investisseurs, les entrepreneurs et les organisations internationales.

Source : MAP

ALGECIRAS PORT AT MOROCCO- ANDALUSIA EXPO

2009-10-26T11:45:00.000Z

The Port of Algeciras is taking part in these days as exhibitor at the 1st edition of Morocco-Andalusia Expo, held in Casablanca through October 1.

Further info is available at www.expoandaluciamarruecos.com

Algeciras Bay on the rise again

2009-10-25T21:48:00.000Z

The Port of Algeciras Bay has started to return positive growth figures once more.

Figures for Algeciras Bay - like the kites - are rising

June’s total throughput saw an upward trend 3.8%, (6.2m tonnes of cargo).

The lion’s share of this recovery can be put down to the general cargo increase of 15.5% plus a container throughput rise of 10% to 285,765 teu.
At the same time, ro-ro traffic on the lines covering the Strait (Algeciras-Ceuta and Algeciras-Tangiers/Tanger Med) showed a similar trend for the first of the summer months, with 17,163 units making the crossing (an upward swing of 7%).
In all, the Port of Algeciras Bay has brought the first half of 2009 to a close with accumulated throughput of 33.8m tonnes (down by 11.9%).
The port’s board has also approved the tender for the last phase of port expansion work on Isla Verde Exterior, an investment of €41m ($58.5m) financed in conjunction with EU funds. This last phase involves the last of the levelled areas – a 14-hectare surface – of Phase B on Isla Verde Exterior and the completion of the Southern Enclosure.

Source : Port Strategy

MEDITERRANEAN: ANIMA, 25 'NICHE' MARKETS TO EXPLOIT

2009-10-11T22:43:00.000+01:00

(by Severine Kittler) (ANSAmed) - MARSEILLE - From aromatic plants and medicines to postal services, from biotechnology to the textile industry, from social housing to eco-tourism: there are 25 niche markets with strong development potential in the Mediterranean countries identified by the Invest in Med programme presented today in Marseille during Mediterranean Economy Week. These new markets, as yet underdeveloped overall in the countries in the region, and which the absence of is penalizing the growth of 15 priority sectors selected by Invest in Med for its launch in April 2008, to orient investments in nine countries (Algeria, Palestine, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia). In a year and a half of the programme, co financed by the European Commission and managed by Anima Investment Network, spent five of the 12 million euros available for the three year period 2008-2011 in the sectors agro-industrial, textiles, information technology and telecommunications, water and waste management, renewal energy sources and the pharmaceutical industry. And it is exactly during the realization of the projects, in close contact with the entrepreneurial reality, particularly locally, in the countries, that the lack of some sub-sectors was discovered, and which appear essential for the complete development of the various sectors. Anima decided therefore to investigate deeper, contacting the foreign investors active in the Med countries and those responsible for the 36 initiatives financed by Invest in Med, and so identified the 25 niche markets that could, if developed in the various countries, give a boost to the economic future of the region. The niches include environmental studies (Algeria, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon); wind power (Morocco, Egypt, Turkey); sustainable building (Morocco with Tanger Med, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia); the treatment of special waste (Jordan, Egypt); eco-tourism and film tourism (Turkey with the Noor television series which has brought tourists to Istanbul, or even Ouarzazate, nicknamed Morocco's Hollywood); the textile industry producing fibre for technical or medical use (already developed in Jordan and Israel); and veterinary pharmaceutical products (Israel). Invest in Med has the markets' pulse: the regions' economic reality, the legislative outlook, the paths to take, contacts, tries to furnish business and socio-economic entities with all the useful information to be able to act quickly and invest where there is a need. ''We have a very strong impact'', an army made up of more than 400 private and public entities and organism in all the Mediterranean countries, even on a regional level'', explained Invest in Med director Emmanuel Noutary, who believes that ''this patrimony should not be lost''. A statement made during the discussion on the creation of the next European-Mediterranean agency for SMEs assigned to Italy and Spain as part of the Union of the Mediterranean. Some, it emerging during the round table discussion organized today by Medalliance in Marseille, are thinking of a centralized organisation, while others think it would be better to confederate all the existing organisms in Marseille, Milan, Barcelona, in the new agency to take advantage of their experience. ''The important thing is not the agency, but what it does'', stressed Julien Aubert, from UPM. ''It's not the label, but what is in the bottle'', echoed Philippe de Fontaine Vive, vice president of the European Investment Bank, adding, ''we have to do thing in the best way, because one thing is certain, the liquidity to invest in the Mediterranean is there''. (ANSAmed).

MEDITERRANEAN: ANIMA, 25 'NICHE' MARKETS TO EXPLOIT

2009-10-11T22:42:00.000+01:00

Tanger Med séduit déjà

2009-10-08T11:24:00.000+01:00

Saïd Elhadi, président du directoire de l'Agence spéciale Tanger Méditerranée (TMSA), chargée du développement, de l'aménagement et de la gestion du complexe Tanger Med, souligne que le projet Tanger Med a pour ambition de créer un hub pour traiter la logistique des grands centres européens. Ces dires sont corroborés par l’attractivité du port Tanger Med. Un an après sa mise en ?uvre, il a pu susciter l’engouement de plusieurs groupes français. Dans une déclaration au journal français «La Tribune», Ayoub Daoudi, directeur général de la filiale du groupe français «Souriau» au Maroc, a souligné que «sans la présence du nouveau port Tanger Med, nos projets d'extension n'auraient pas été possibles». Les déclarations de Saïd Elhadi et de Ayoub Daoudi sont corroborées par Faîçal Smaili, directeur général adjoint de Geodis Maroc. «Tanger Med a un positionnement stratégique avec un potentiel de captation de 23 % du trafic maritime mondial de conteneurs et compte tenu de l'engorgement des autres ports de la Méditerranée», fait remarquer Faîçal Smaili dans une déclaration au journal français. En clair, le port Tanger Med ambitionne de devenir une plate-forme industrielle de rang mondial.

A son tour, le cabinet britannique, l'Oxford Business Group (OBG), a souligné l'importance de l'ambitieux projet d'extension du port Tanger-Med, relevant que le projet vise à placer le Maroc au centre du commerce méditerranéen et international. Le port a permis au Maroc de passer de la 75e place mondiale, en termes de routes et de liaisons, à la 30e . Le Maroc est considéré, avec l'Egypte et l'Afrique du Sud, comme un des trois pays les plus compétitifs en matière de liaisons maritimes. En effet, en se fixant un objectif de huit millions de conteneurs EVP d'ici 2015, Tanger Med vise à devenir l’un des plus grands ports de conteneurs au monde, souligne l'Oxford Business Group. Plus, la sécurité du commerce marocain est une bonne nouvelle pour Tanger qui, en plus de son grand port, dispose d'une zone logistique, ainsi que de zones franche et industrielle, qui s'étendent sur 550 km2, observe le cabinet, soulignant que l'objectif du gouvernement est non seulement de faire du Maroc une destination de prédilection des compagnies maritimes internationales, mais également de devenir un centre d'exportation industriel qui serait le moteur principal du développement économique du nord du pays. Lors d’une sortie médiatique, Mohamed Abdeljalil, président-directeur général de Marsa Maroc, a déclaré que bien que le trafic international des conteneurs ait baissé de 10 % depuis le début du ralentissement économique au niveau mondial, le Maroc s'en est mieux sorti que les marchés mondiaux qui, eux, ont connu une baisse moyenne de 20%. Selon M. Abdeljalil, le secteur maritime et portuaire du Maroc a été relativement épargné parce que les échanges Nord-Sud ont moins souffert de la crise que les échanges Est-Ouest. Ce n’est pas tout. Une fois achevés les travaux d'extension de cette gigantesque infrastructure portuaire, le port Tanger Med II sera en mesure d'assurer, en 2014, le trafic de pas moins de cinq millions de conteneurs par an et les deux composantes du complexe portuaire (Tanger Med I et Tanger Med II) pourraient brasser quelque 8 millions de conteneurs annuellement, ce qui permettra au complexe de devenir leader de la région méditerranéenne et en Afrique.

Source : www.lobservateur.ma

Tanger-Med II to boost Moroccan boxes

2009-10-08T00:15:00.000+01:00

07 Oct 2009

The Oxford Business Group, a London-based think tank, believes that the decision to go ahead with the Tanger-Med II project in Morocco suggests that there is significant potential in the country for future development.

port-tanger-med

The port, which will have a capacity of 8m teu by 2015, will become one of the most important container terminals in the world.

Images for this article - click to enlarge

Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2009. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.

Source : Mercator Media Ltd 2009

ALGECIRAS PORT AT MOROCCO-ANDALUSIA EXPO

2009-10-01T11:11:00.000+01:00

The Port of Algeciras is taking part in these days as exhibitor at the 1st edition of Morocco-Andalusia Expo, held in Casablanca through October 1.

Tangier Med: An ambitious construction program in Morocco

2009-09-30T10:21:00.000+01:00

Tangier Med is a new passenger and cargo port located on the Straits of Gibraltar about 40 km east of Tangier in Morocco and 15 km from Spain at the shortest distance between Africa and Europe. The ambitious construction program was officially inaugurated in July 2007 by King Mohammed VI and the government body Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency (TMSA) is overseeing the whole project.

Tangier Med Port is determined to comply with the highest international safety and security standards. It will not only be compliant with the ISPS Code, but will also have its security organization compliant with the requirements of recent European directives and compliant with the safety requirements set by IMO (International Maritime Organization). The TMSA has therefore, following a competitive tender process, contracted TEAM to design and manufacture four modern Passenger Boarding Bridges which will facilitate safe and secure boarding and disembarkment for the 2 million ferry passengers expected to transit the passenger terminal.

TEAM will deliver the four PBBs to the new ferry terminal at Tangier Med in the first quarter of 2010. Two different SEDNA designs will be installed; two PBBs with two large tunnel sections leading from the ferry entry door to quay level, and two PBBs with one large tunnel section leading from the ferry door to an elevated walkway. Both designs will include a sophisticated cabin and docking ramp section.

Source : Travel Daily News International

Freshfields advises on the signature of contracts for the development of the Tangier Med 2 Port in Morocco

2009-09-29T15:35:00.000+01:00

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency (TMSA) on the contract for the design and construction of the basic infrastructure of the Tangier Med 2 port and the concession of its first container terminal.
The contracts, signed earlier this month, relate to the major extension of the Tangier Med 2 port complex in Morocco. The port, with a nominal capacity of five million containers, will reinforce and consolidate the position of the Tangier Med port on the Gibraltar Straits, a core slot on one of the world’s major container transport routes.
The Moroccan State and TMSA, the state-owned port authority and developer, have signed a contract for the development of the project. A 30 year concession for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the first container terminal of the port has been granted by TMSA to Marsa Maroc, the leading Moroccan port operator. The turnkey contract for the design and construction of the port’s infrastructure, with a contract price of approximately €825 million, has been signed between TMSA and a consortium formed by Besix, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Bymaro, Saipem and Somagec.
During the first phase of the project, all the basic infrastructure of the port and only one of the two containers terminals of the port, with a quay-length of 1,200 metres and a capacity of 2.2 million containers, will be designed and built. The second terminal of the port, with a quay-length of 1,600 metres and a capacity of 3 million containers, will be developed on the basis of future market demand.
In order to assist with the development of the project, the Moroccan State will contribute 2 billion Moroccan Dirhams (approximately €180 million) to a project company, TM2 SA incorporated by TMSA for the purposes of the project, an amount which may be repaid once the concession of the second terminal of the port is awarded and relevant revenues are secured. TMSA will also make a contribution of 2 billion Moroccan Dirhams to the project company.
Freshfields advised TMSA on all aspects of the project. The Freshfields team was led by finance partner Amir Jahanguiri, and included partner Thierry Laloum, counsel Vincent Brenot, and associates Driss Bererhi, Michaël Armandou and Mathieu Werner (all finance).

Britain, France and Morocco gaining influence in Strait, says report

2009-09-25T17:37:00.000+01:00

Britain, France and Morocco are gaining greater influence of the area of the Strait of Gibraltar, at Spain's expense, and this is happening with the backing of the United States, it is claimed in Spain.
The Spanish Government has decided to restructure Spain's artillery operations in the Strait area, with the removal of fixed artillery positions and their replacement by mobile units. The move appears to be to cut down military expenditure, reducing military personnel as the mobile units will require fewer personnel to operate. Barracks at Tarifa will be closed down.
It is said all this is causing disquiet in the Spanish military, which is being augmented by reports that suggest that Britain is to instal modern missiles at Gibraltar, says the Madrid daily ABC.
The plan has the support of NATO which has always considered Gibraltar as a key point for its Mediterranean defence strategy.
The report asks questions about the diminishing Spanish influence in the Strait, such as if it is linked to the difficult relations Spanish prime minister Zapatero had with President Bush.
Sources consulted by the paper indicate that something is brewing, pointing at the Americans having decided that the control of the southern coast of the Strait should be in the hands of the Moroccans and the northern control should be retained by Britain from Gibraltar.
The paper suggests that Morocco, with the support of France, may be playing a fundamental role, taking advantage of the state of relations of Spain with the USA.
The permanence of Robert Gates as secretary for defence in the Obama government could favour Rabat's interest in positioning itself 'as the friendly power in the Strait.'
There are three vital points: Tangier, Tanger-Med port and the Ksar-Kebir naval base - all opposite Gibraltar, plus the Alhucemas base which is being modernised and the port of Nador to displace Melilla.
There are also suggestions that the American African command could be installed in Morocco rather than in Rota.
French president Sarkozy is seen as playing a fundamental part in extending the influence of Morocco over territory that was once Spanish Morocco, military sources said.
In exchange for French support, the Moroccans could view the French in a favourable position to gain contracts, and the selling to Rabat of helicopters and frigates.

Morocco plans second transhipment hub

2009-09-18T15:32:00.002+01:00

Despite doubts hanging over the future of the Tanger Med II development in Morocco, the government is to go ahead with a second container transhipment port close to the city of Nador. The project, which is known as Nador West Med, aims to attract both dry bulk traffic and transhipment containers. The scheme will go hand in hand with a free zone development covering 850 hectares.

Source: Port Strategy

Port de Tanger Med enjeux et ambitions...

2009-09-16T23:42:00.000+01:00

Port de Tanger Med enjeux et ambitions...
Uploaded by choukilooo

Bouygues Construction builds second harbour facility in Morocco

2009-09-07T14:45:00.001+01:00

Bouygues Travaux Publics and Bymaro, two subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, have just signed a contract with the Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency (TMSA) for the design and construction of a second deep-water port complex in Tangier. The 825 million euro operation (of which 335 million euros for Bouygues Construction) will be carried out by a consortium with Saipem, Besix, and Somagec.

The works are expected to start in the first half of 2010 and will run for close to four and half years (51 months) with up to 1,500 people working on site at peak times.
Read More :

Tangier Med 2 will complement the Tangier Med 1 complex — also built by Bouygues Travaux Publics, Bymaro, and Saipem — consisting of a container port (completed in 2006) and a ferry terminal (to be handed over in 2010).

Source : http://home.nestor.minsk

Labour bends

2009-08-26T02:02:00.000+01:00

The attitude of dock labour in Spain is changing. There is a reality dawning that new competitive pressures – of the type being fielded from Morocco’s Tangier Med container transhipment terminals - require a competitive response.

A new labour agreement reached at the Malaga Container Terminal confirms this is the case. It incorporates significant concessions by labour in recognition of the terminal’s requirement to cut costs and generally slim down to be more competitive. The new agreement reached between terminal management and labour incorporates the following ground breaking features:

- A 25% wage cut for labour designed to reduce the labour cost per container.
- A reduction in the number of stevedores employed per shift, and
- Measures to increase the “economic production” = containers per docker/shift.
Labour cost, terminal management points out, can never be brought down to a level whereby it is on an equal footing with the cost in Tangier Med – there is a 6 to 1 difference. Nevertheless because there is such a big difference, management underlines, the best effort possible has to be made to close the cost gap, and a 25% wage reduction on the part of dock labour does represent a significant step in this respect.
Similarly, the introduction of labour gangs with a maximum of 13 personnel - 16 when lashing operations are involved – realises a significant downsizing in gang size in turn making significant cost savings.
The third element in the equation, increased “economic production” is designed to increase the output of port workers, reduce the labour cost per container in the terminal and generally up the level of service to the lines.
Further, in pursuit of recognition from lines of the commitment to provide a premium uninterrupted service, terminal management and the Union have agreed what is termed a “parachute clause” whereby labour has signed up to delivering a gross crane production of 30 containers per hour with a commitment that any action that might result in a fall in this level of production will be avoided.
For its part, with these significant undertakings in place terminal management has agreed that all 170 stevedoring jobs at the terminal will be maintained.
Generally, terminal management is of the view that the combined impact of these measures will be to enable the Malaga Container Terminal to stay in business in 2009, 2010 and beyond, and to offer effective competition to the new Tangier Med container transhipment terminals.
Management underlines that such an approach is not optional; it is, in its view, absolutely essential to enable the Malaga Container Terminal to stay in business. It points out that out of the 13m teu handled annually in Spain 7m teu is transhipment traffic and that to retain this business – the core business of the Malaga Container Terminal – a new generation approach is required by labour along the lines of the new agreement formally signed in Malaga in May this year.
Malaga among Spain’s containerports has, of course, never been a port known for the militancy of its labour – by comparison to ports such as Barcelona and Valencia it can be seen to be quite moderate. Even so this development following on the heels of a new labour agreement signed in Algeciras at the end of 2008 point to a new recognition on the part of labour that job security is not guaranteed but is something that has to be earnt.
The Algeciras agreement was also ground breaking, covering some 1,230 permanently employed stevedores, and effectively securing significant efficiency and productivity improvements. At the same time, this new agreement was underpinned by a commitment from APM Terminals in Algeciras, the main container terminal operator, to handle at least 3m teu per year through its dedicated terminal facilities.

Source : Mercator Media

Bouygues Construction builds second harbour facility in Morocco

2009-08-18T09:59:00.000+01:00

Bouygues Travaux Publics and Bymaro, two subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, have just signed a contract with the Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency (TMSA) for the design and construction of a second deep-water port complex in Tangier. The 825 million euro operation (of which 335 million euros for Bouygues Construction) will be carried out by a consortium with Saipem, Besix, and Somagec.

The works are expected to start in the first half of 2010 and will run for close to four and half years (51 months) with up to 1,500 people working on site at peak times.

Tangier Med 2 will complement the Tangier Med 1 complex — also built by Bouygues Travaux Publics, Bymaro, and Saipem — consisting of a container port (completed in 2006) and a ferry terminal (to be handed over in 2010).

Maroc: Carlos Ghosn confirme la construction d'une usine Renault à Tanger

2009-07-19T09:48:00.000+01:00

La présentation de cette gigantesque infrastructure, porteuse de valeur ajoutée, a été assurée par Youssef Benchekroun, membre du directoire de l'Agence spéciale Tanger-Med (TMSA), qui a articulé son intervention autour de trois principaux axes à savoir la vision ayant commandé le lancement et la conception du projet Tanger-Med, les principaux éléments de l'activité portuaire et enfin les composantes des zones d'activité c'est-à-dire l'arrière pays où les opérateurs peuvent s'implanter.

Dans une déclaration à la MAP, M. Benchekroun a indiqué que les organisateurs du Forum méditerranéen de la logistique et du transport, qui se tient sous le thème «Vers une communauté logistique Méditerranéenne», ont invité les autorités du complexe portuaire Tanger-Med à présenter le projet et l'expérience de Tanger-Med pour enrichir le débat et la réflexion sur les enjeux du développement du trafic portuaire et de la logistique en général dans le pourtour méditerranéen.

Le principal message que nous avons tenu à véhiculer au cours de notre intervention est que la gigantesque infrastructure qu'est Tanger-Med va servir non seulement le développement économique et socio-territoriale du Maroc mais sera aussi une plate-forme d'accueil d'opérateurs industriels et logistiques étrangers notamment européens (Français, Espagnols et Italiens) et de l'ensemble du pourtour Méditerranéen qui pourront bénéficier de l'avantage compétitif qu'offre Tanger-Med.

Par ailleurs, le président de l'association des Freight Forwarders du Maroc (AFFM), qui rassemble les groupeurs de marchandises, Rachid Tahri, a souligné dans une autre intervention dans le cadre du Forum Méditerranéen, l'importance du secteur du transport et de la logistique, l'un des moteurs clés du développement économique du Maroc.

M. Tahri, qui est revenu sur les différents accords de libre échange signés par le Maroc avec plusieurs pays partenaires ainsi que le statut avancé qui lui a été accordé par l'Union européenne, a souligné les grands projets structurants de logistique lancés dans le Royaume comme le complexe portuaire Tanger-Med ou encore le Train à Grande Vitesse devant relier Tanger à Casablanca qui auront un impact positif sur le développement économique national.

Le 7e Forum méditerranéen de la logistique et du transport (2-3 juin), organisé dans le cadre du SIL (2-5 juin), a réuni deux jours durant des représentants gouvernementaux, des P.-D.G. et hauts responsables de grandes infrastructures portuaires et ferroviaires ainsi que d'imminents experts dans le domaine de la Logistique et du Transport des pays du pourtour de la Méditerranée dont le Maroc.

Selon le coordinateur général du 7e Forum méditerranéen de la logistique et du transport, Anwar Zibaoui, l'actuelle édition du Forum qui coïncide avec le lancement de l'UPM, a offert l'occasion d'approfondir la réflexion sur le projet de l'interconnexion au moyen du transport et de la logistique des pays des deux rives de la Méditerranée, l'un des projets phares retenus par l'UPM.

Dans une déclaration à MAP-Barcelone, M. Zibaoui s'est félicité de la réussite du Forum devenu au fil des éditions un lieu privilégié où se réunissent les secteurs publics et privés des pays du pourtour Méditerranéen versant dans le domaine de la logistique et du transport.

Le Forum, important point de rencontre des hommes d'affaires des pays de l'Europe et du Sud de la Méditerranée en vue de développer un partenariat fructueux, a permis de tisser des relations de partenariat efficace entre les secteurs publics et privés pour planifier et concevoir des politiques efficientes en matière de logistique et de transport, a-t-il dit.

Par ailleurs, dans le cadre du Forum méditerranéen de la logistique et du transport, une rencontre internationale consacrée à l'encouragement des investissements étrangers dans la zone méditerranéenne a réuni des hommes d'affaires et des opérateurs économiques des deux rives de la Méditerranée dans les domaines du Transport et de la Logistique.

La rencontre initiée dans le cadre du projet «Invest in Med» (Investir en Méditerranée) financé par l'Union Européenne, a permis aux sociétés européennes d'entrer en contact avec leurs consœurs du pourtour Méditerranéen en vue de renforcer les relations et conclure des affaires dans le secteur de la logistique et du Transport.

Le 7e Forum Méditerranéen de la logistique et du transport ainsi que la rencontre «Investir en Méditerranée» sont tous les deux organisés dans le cadre du Salon international de la logistique et de la manutention de Barcelone, ville choisie pour abriter le siège du secrétariat permanent de l'UPM.

Véritable point de rencontre de l'activité logistique du sud de l'Europe, du bassin méditerranéen et en particulier des pays du Maghreb, mais aussi de l'Amérique latine et de l'Asie du Sud-est, le Salon international de la logistique et la manutention s'est imposé en Espagne et en Europe comme un rendez-vous incontournable du secteur.

De l'infrastructure aux dernières innovations technologiques, tous les métiers y sont représentés : équipements, stockage, manutention, préparation de commandes, transports, E-logistics.

Deuxième salon de référence du secteur par sa taille en Europe, le SIL avait réuni, lors de sa précédente édition plus de 1.000 exposants, accueilli plus de 50.000 visiteurs professionnels et généré un chiffre d'affaires de 2.050 millions d'euros.

Par MAP

MOROCCO : A place where history and hedonism intertwine A place where history and hedonism intertwine

2009-07-18T10:13:00.000+01:00

Long a haunt of artists and exiles, ancient port gets the royal treatment

Gisela Williams

TANGIER, MOROCCO–Dusk was falling on Tangier, and small cliques of nattily dressed expats were sipping mint tea and socializing on the top floor of the Hotel Nord-Pinus, a sumptuous riad-style guest house in the Casbah.
A gentle sea breeze wafted through the arched doorways and filled the stylish lounge, decorated with embroidered Moroccan pillows and modern photography, with an air of exclusivity.
Down the street, a different scent drifted from the fabled Café Hafa, once the haunt of Beat poets and musicians like the Rolling Stones.
Two dozen young men were sitting on battered folding chairs, several discreetly smoking kif – tobacco blended with hashish.

This Moroccan port has always been a city of extremes – a surreal crossroads where Northern Africa meets Europe, the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean.
But while the gritty authenticity of Tangier is still there, a new cohort of artists is giving this fabulously shabby port a new shine.
In the heady years after World War II, when Tangier was still in diplomatic limbo as an International Zone, its craggy shores became a gay-friendly haven for spies, globetrotting businessmen, beatniks in exile and eccentric foreigners.
This is where William S. Burroughs wrote the bulk of Naked Lunch, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, and where Paul Bowles completed his haunting and existential cult classic, The Sheltering Sky.
As recently as the last decade, Tangier was still considered a down-on-its-luck town riddled with drugs and hustlers. But while sleazy dives, decayed buildings and dark alleys can still be found, a stylish new Tangier has emerged, fuelled by royal investments and a thriving arts community.
There are now renovated architectural gems like the 1940s Cinematheque de Tanger, quirky boutiques loaded with one-of-a-kind objects, and cafés that draw a sophisticated but idiosyncratic crowd.
That crowd includes the supermodel Jacquetta Wheeler; Bruno Frisoni, the designer for Roger Vivier; and the French writer Bernard-Henri Levy, who recently bought a starkly modern house next door to the Café Hafa.
Much of Tangier's renaissance can be traced back to Morocco's king, Mohammed VI. Unlike his father – the late King Hassan II who ruled Morocco for 38 years and was said to have despised Tangier – the new king is an enthusiastic champion. Instead of an urban wasteland, he sees Tangier as a cultural and commercial gateway between Africa and Europe.
The king was also the driving force behind Tanger Med, a giant new cargo port whose administrative centre was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel.
Also in the works is a high-speed train network that would cut the travel time between Tangier and Marrakech to less than three hours.
Despite the changes, the surreal jumble of alleyways, crooked white facades and shady courtyards that make up Tangier's historic heart hasn't changed since Bowles wrote Without Stopping, his 1972 autobiography that recounts his itinerant love affair with North Africa.
In it, Bowles described Tangier as "rich in prototypical dream scenes: covered streets like corridors with doors opening into rooms on each side, hidden terraces high above the sea, streets consisting only of steps, dark impasses, small squares built on sloping terrain so that they looked like ballet sets designed in false perspective, with alleys leading off in several directions; as well as the classical dream equipment of tunnels, ramparts, ruins, dungeons and cliffs.''
And the slightly sinister and exotic underbelly that inspired Burroughs' Naked Lunch is still found at places like Café Hafa and Café Central, a faded coffee house in the seedy but always buzzing Petit Socco square, where everyone seems to have something to hustle among the fin-de-siecle facades.
But there is also a glamorous new side to Tangier, where socialites air-kiss by the palm-lined swimming pool at La Villa Josephine, a lavish hillside retreat. Or where coiffed ladies nibble on prawn cocktails at Le Mirage resort.
"There's a wonderful term in ornithology that is perfect for the kind of people that end up here," said Elena Prentice, an American painter who lives in Tangier.
"They are called accidentals, birds that end up in an area where they don't really belong. Everyone in Tangier is some form of accidental.''
New York Times News Service

Moroccan king opens huge port project

2009-07-08T16:38:00.000+01:00

The first phase of the project should be finished by 2014

825-million-euro Tangier Med 2 port, in north of Morocco, has financial support from host of countries.

TANGIERS - Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Wednesday attended a ceremony to mark the start of a project to create one of the biggest ports in Africa and the Mediterranean.
The 825-million-euro (9.25 billion dirhams) Tangier Med 2 port, in the north of the country, has financial support from a host of countries, including France and Italy.
The country's economy minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, said the first phase of the project should be finished by 2014 and will be around the size of 80 football pitches.

Bouw haven Tanger Med 2 gestart in Marokko

2009-06-28T22:49:00.000+01:00

De koning van Marokko, Mohammed VI, heeft woensdag de start gegeven voor de bouw van de haven Tanger Med 2. Dat is een uitbreiding van het havencomplex met dezelfde naam, dat in juli 2002 gelanceerd werd en sinds 2007 al gedeeltelijk in gebruik is. Het Belgische bedrijf Besix is betrokken bij de constructie.

Het bouwcontract voor de nieuwe infrastructuur, die opgetrokken wordt op de kust van de Middellandse Zee, op enkele kilometers ten westen van Tanger Med 1, werd toegekend aan een consortium dat bestaat uit Besix (België), Bouygues Travaux Publics (Frankrijk), Bymaro (Marokko), Saipem (Italië) en Somagec (Marokko). Het gaat om een bedrag van 9,25 miljard dirhams, of ongeveer 825 miljoen euro.

Met de bouw van Tanger Med II zal het havencomplex op termijn een capaciteit van ruim 8 miljoen containers hebben, en daarmee een van de grootste havens van de Middellandse Zee en Afrika zijn, zo benadrukten de Marokkaanse minister van Economie en Financiën en de directeur van het Agence spéciale Tanger Méditerranée. (belga/jv)