Morocco’s king calls on government to speed up development, create jobs for youth

By Khalid Mejdoub and Rania Abu Shamala

RABAT, Morocco/ISTANBUL (AA) – Moroccan King Mohammed VI called on the government on Friday to accelerate the implementation of development programs aimed at creating jobs for youth and improving the education and health sectors.

In a speech to parliament, the king said the country expects “a faster pace and stronger impact from the new generation of local development programs that we instructed the government to prepare, within a win-win framework between urban and rural areas.”

He said current priorities include “encouraging local initiatives and economic activities, creating employment opportunities for young people, advancing the education and health sectors, and strengthening territorial development,” in addition to fighting against “all practices that waste time, effort, and resources.”

King Mohammed stressed that he “would not tolerate any negligence in the effectiveness and productivity of public investment.”

He underlined the need to pay special attention to the most vulnerable regions, taking into account their specific conditions and needs, particularly in mountainous and oasis areas.

“Social justice and reducing territorial disparities are not empty slogans or temporary priorities that may lose importance depending on circumstances,” the king said.

“We consider them a strategic direction that all actors must commit to, and a crucial goal that should guide all development policies.”

He explained that Morocco’s pursuit of social and territorial justice requires the full mobilization of all national energies.

The king’s speech came one day after youth group GenZ 212 renewed its call for the dismissal of the government following protests demanding reforms to tackle corruption and improve public services.