In 1999, year of the passing of King Hassan II, some North African analysts were pessimistic about the future of the Moroccan Kingdom. The country, with an ailing infrastructure and a stalling economy, was struggling hard to get out of an IMF -imposed restructuring plan.
Yet, fifteen years later, Morocco’s current ruler, King Mohammed VI, stated in an official speech on August 20 that his country’s “development model has reached maturity and deserves to join the group of emerging nations once and for all. »
Back in 1999, the challenges ahead seemed huge for the then 37-year old King who had just succeeded his father, an emblematic regional figure and a global power broker. During King Hassan’s nearly 40 year reign, Morocco became a discreet but influential piece in the chessboard of the Middle-East conflict. It also became a “pivotal country” in the region, dealing with issues such as interfaith dialogue and political mediation.