Dr. Thomas Bach, president of the Ghorfa Arab German Chamber of Commerce and Industry

ARAB FORUM: What is the current status of German-Arab economic relations in view of the current global economic and financial crisis?

Dr. Bach: The economic development in the Arab states has proven to be an encouraging factor in the current global economic slowdown. As an exporting nation, Germany’s business particularly profits from this development. German exports to the Arab world have risen in 2008 by more than 20 percent to a record value of 28.1 billion euros. In the first quarter of 2009 these exports increased another 2.9 percent compared to the first quarter of last year. This development impressively demonstrates that German-Arab relations are not a part of the problem but rather a part of the solution.

ARAB FORUM: Compared worldwide, the Arab countries have only been mildly affected. Why is this the case?

Dr. Bach: The resources-rich Arab states have taken advantage of the ‘window of opportunity’ in recent years to diversify their national economies and reduce their dependency on their oil and natural gas reserves. The economic and structural reforms initiated in almost all Arab countries and the improved investment climate are showing effects, and accelerating this development. Particular attention is being given here to sectors that promise high sustainability. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, has made massive investments in the health care sector, and the Emirate of Qatar is planning to position itself in the future as a center of education and study.

ARAB FORUM: In the spring, the Ghorfa hosted the 1st German-Arab Education and Vocational Training Forum, which attracted a great amount of interest and must be considered a complete success. How do you explain the large reaction to the subject of education for which the Ghorfa seems to have assumed a pacesetting role?

Dr. Bach: Over a third of the Arab population is under the age of 15. Some 70 million are seeking vocational training that leads to a job. Along with other products, training “made in Germany” also enjoy an excellent reputation in the Arab world. This is especially true of the system of dual training on the job and in vocational school. This very system is custom-tailored for the needs of the Arab world where it is essential to train sufficient workers to meet the demand.

ARAB FORUM: Although IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, is a German initiative, it was decided at the 2nd preparatory conference last June in Sharm El Sheikh to install IRENA’s Secretariat General in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Co2-free city. Would this indicate the future of renewable energies is being shaped in the Arab countries, particularly those producing oil and natural gas?

Dr. Bach: This fact once again shows that the Arab countries are conscious of the finite amount of fossil fuels they possess and are already today thinking about strategies for the time they are depleted. In addition, the climatic conditions on the Arab Peninsula are near to ideal for solar energy.
Independent of the seat of the Secretariat General, IRENA is more of a global project than a national one. It was also determined that the home of its Technology and Innovation Center will be Bonn.

ARAB FORUM: A good deal of activity by Germany and particularly Iraq aimed at exploiting Mesopotamia’s economic potential has been observed in business and politics in the last year and a half. In November the Ghorfa hosted another two-day forum on the subject in Berlin. Where do Iraq’s economic strengths lie, and what do they wish from German business and government?

Dr. Bach: Iraq not only has excellent growth potential due to its wealth of oil and natural gas, but also particularly because of its young and well educated population. But above all, the Iraqi government is vigorously and conscienciously pursuing the reconstruction of the country. At the same time, German industry has the know-how and technology necessary to do it. It is therefore in everyone’s interest to seize the opportunity offered to work together and to make optimum use of it. The forum in November provides companies from both countries an excellent opportunity to create the basis for such cooperation through personal contact.

ARAB FORUM: Where do you see further potential for German-Arab economic relations?

Dr. Bach: It is of decisive importance for the future sustainability of German-Arab economic relations to not just limit the cooperation to a simple exchange of goods. Particularly in times likes these, it is strategic partnerships that hold the promise of the greatest success possible for both sides. This also opens up new opportunities, such as developing third markets together.

Interview conducted by Rainer Schubert

Slowly but surely Lebanon is establishing itself once again as the Mecca and playground of the Middle East. Today, visitors can enjoy spectacular sightseeing dating from the time of the Crusaders and Romans, the world renowned Lebanese cuisine and the charm and courtesy of its people. I am not going to dwell on the more recent problems that have certainly taken its toll on the population as a whole. Suffice to say that during my visit I came away firmly convinced that the majority of Lebanese want to lead a peaceful, happy and fruitful life with the hope that their children will be able to grow up in a tranquil atmosphere amidst the natural beauty of this very special country !

Lebanon enjoys an advantageous position on the eastern Mediterranean coast at the meeting point of three continents and as the gateway between east and west it has been a traditional meeting place of great civilisations and cultures. There are so many places to see and so much history to absorb, so many archaeological treasures, such amazingly beautiful landscapes with sheer cliffs, caves, craggy mountains and steep valleys, that it is difficult to know where to start. The capital city of Beirut, with a population of over one million people, is once again a thriving city conveying a dynamism and energy that is immediately apparent. It was only in comparatively modern times that its central position became significantly important and the port facilities were improved, that it became a prominent commercial and cultural centre.
Today the centre of the metropolis has been meticulously reconstructed with many new residential apartments, office blocks and hotels having been built alongside beautiful old buildings that have been painstakingly restored to their former glory. The restoration also included many historical mosques and churches, whilst ancient souqs have also been reconstructed in the traditional way. Before major areas were once again encased in concrete, a team of international archaeologists reconstructed an area showing Roman ruins, which has become a major tourist attraction, especially when it is illuminated at night. There is a carefully planned modern infrastructure of roads, main services, public leisure areas, gardens and tree planting. Reclaimed land from the sea has also enabled developers to build marinas, a seaside promenade and a public park.

Accommodations and food
Before embarking on a variety of interesting excursions it is essential to decide on the right hotel during your time in Beirut. Let me state that most of the prestigious hotel chains have luxurious hotels in the Lebanese metropolis. However, I want to tell you about a boutique hotel as featured in the Relais & Chateaux booklet of fine hotels. Located in one of the capital’s oldest and most interesting districts is the Hotel Albergo, which offers exceptional hospitality and comfort within its all suites accommodation. Everyone of the 33 suites are individually designed and furnished, each with its own character and charm. However, the management are fully aware of what is expected in the twenty-first century and all units have satellite and TV facilities, stereo hi-fi, fax machine, international phone line, minibar, air conditioning and central heating. There is also a business centre and 24 hours room service. The hotel has two very fine restaurants, one on the rooftop offering interesting Lebanese and international cuisine in a comfortable and relaxed setting reminiscent of a dining room in a rather grand house of a bygone era. The views of the city are quite magnificent and when the weather is warm and sunny one can dine al fresco on the large open terrace adjoining the small outdoor swimming pool.
The second restaurant which has a superb Italian kitchen is the “Al Dente.” This most elegant restaurant has two outstandingly attractive dining rooms, offering exquisite dishes with careful attention to detail so that even the most demanding diners will be delighted.
To enable you to arrange tours of this historical country contact the Ministry of Tourism and request them to arrange for a qualified guide and driver.

The Jeita Grotto with its breathtakingly natural beauty

For your first excursion take the short journey to visit the Jeita Grotto with its breathtakingly natural beauty that has been admired by many thousands of visitors from all over the world. Fashioned by millions of years of erosion it is a spectacle that almost defies description. Its elegant natural stone sculptures are seen to their best advantage because of the ingenious lighting system installed, that appear to reveal eerie and fascinating shapes as well as amazing designs and sounds formed by the stalactites and stalagmites. Jeita consists of an upper grotto which can be explored by foot and a lower one with an underground lake that can be seen by boat.
On the way back to your hotel have a tour through the streets of the capital – a city of contrasts! Many times destroyed it is still a city of many facets with a charming mix of east and west. Old villas are reflected in the modern glass fronted buildings giving visitors a view of both the past and the present, whilst luxurious shops abound and yet close by can be seen street vendors selling their wares under the hot sun. The famous Corniche is well worth seeing attracting joggers, skaters, scooter riders whilst local families proudly promenading with their children.
Beirut is acknowledged as a cultural center with its many universities (including the famous American University), schools and its world renowned National Museum, which gives visitors an insight into its great archaeological past. There is also a variety of musical, artistic and dramatic activities with one of the most prestigious annual festivals being the “The Al Bustan Festival of Music and Arts” which generally runs from the last week in February until the end of March.
After a full day you will surely want to enjoy a typical Lebanese meal. As you will have ample opportunity to sample the hotel’s cuisine, I would like to suggest visiting one of the finest restaurants in town, the ” Al Mijana ” which is a few minutes walk away in the same street as the hotel Albergo. Here within its oriental ambience you will enjoy a lavish meal starting with the world famous Lebanese mezze, which is a spread of innumerable small dishes, carefully arranged and finely seasoned – a pleasure to the eye as well as to the palate, including such items as humus (a purée of chick peas and sesame paste), tabbouleh (a salad of tomatoes with parsley and crushed wheat), warak arish (stuffed vine leaves to you and me), labneh (strained yoghurt seasoned with olive oil and garlic) samboussek (hot cheese pastries) and kibbeh (ground meat with crushed wheat, finely flavoured with herbs and spices). For your main course you can choose from grilled seafood, lamb kebab, chicken brochette, kofta (ground meat with parsley) kebbi b’labnieh (meat balls in a yoghurt sauce), sayyadieh (slices of fish in an onion sauce accompanied by rice) and much much more. The meal is generally accompanied by arak – Lebanon’s national drink. Alternatively you can choose one of the many excellent local wines from the Bekaa valley.

As I stated from the outset there is so much to see in Lebanon so do try and arrange visits to some of the following destinations.
Just after a leisurely two hours drive you will reach the ancient city of Byblos with a history that goes back over 7000 years. Today it reveals an archaeological site showing one impressive ruin after another thus tracing so many different civilisations that have occupied Byblos over thousands of centuries. It also gave its name to the Greek word for a book ” biblos ” on account of its papyrus fields (papyrus was used for making writing paper in ancient times). It is also the birthplace of the alphabet with the oldest known inscriptions of the Phoenician linear alphabet.
Facing the sea, the site includes a number of Phoenician and Canaanite temples, ancient city walls, the foundations of several stone-age houses and a number of Roman remains. Probably the most imposing ruin is the Crusader castle, built in the thirteenth century, which is bordered by a row of colonnades at the foot of which are some Phoenician sarcophagus (decorated stone coffins as used in ancient times for a dead body). Byblos is also known for its picturesque medieval port, where you can see quaint fishing boats gently rocking on the waves. Whilst in the port, stop and have a delicious lunch at the family owned Bab El Mina restaurant, which has been built into the rocks and also has a wonderful terrace overlooking the sea. There is always fresh fish on the menu and an excellent variety of grilled meat washed down with some fine wine!
Within the citadel area of Byblos in Jebil is a parade of attractively renovated old buildings, many of which are now used as shops selling anything from picture postcards and books to pottery and locally designed jewellery. There is also an exhibition room opened by the charming Abi Saad and his three brothers displaying some of their fine and extremely beautiful fossils that they have painstakingly collected. Their studio can best be described as an aquarium without life or water but with a variety of perfectly formed species of marine life in stone, such as swordfish, stingray, shrimp, skate, squid, octopus and even shark! In fact, the largest fossil on display is a shark which is almost 3 metres long. However, Abi Saad’s first love is to go off at daybreak to Hgula in the mountains above Jebil to search for fish fossils that have died many millions of years ago and he only sells fossils when he has collected a few examples of the same piece.
For the real fragrance of the Orient travel to the north of Lebanon to Tripoli, the second largest city in the country, where the old traditional buildings and souqs have been so carefully preserved for future generations to admire. When entering the souqs you will be enthralled by the strong aroma of some of the oriental perfumes intermingled with the fragrance of the many varied spices. Here amongst the maze of tiny passageways are spice stalls, craft and jewellery shops, potters, tailors, material vendors and soap makers. Visit Badr. Hassoun & Sons, where you can see the soap being prepared with different flowers, fruits and essence as in days gone.
The oriental atmosphere continues when visiting a few of the restored mosques, some of which date back to the time of the Mamluks, who occupied the country in the 13th century. Be sure to see the Grand Mosque with its huge courtyard surrounded by arcades, the Burtasya Mosque with its finely carved minaret and the Taynal Mosque with its portal decorated in striped marble. Tripoli is dominated by the majestic castle, originally built during the Crusader period. After then being destroyed by the Mamluks it was subsequently rebuilt over the centuries by different rulers of the time and today is recognised as one of the most impressive castles in the Middle East.

You can still enjoy an authentic Turkish Bath in this city with some of the baths (Hamams) dating back many centuries with their domes and pierced glass covered openings, bringing light into the interior.
Before leaving Tripoli, be sure to go Rafaat Hallab & Sons, who have proudly been satisfying their customers since 1881 with their delicious home made oriental pastries. What is more the present members of the family are not resting on their laurels but are forever finding ways to improve and offer more delicacies to their loyal customers, both at home and abroad. Having the best of pistachios, pine kernels and other important ingredients ensures that they can offer the very finest of oriental sweets. Also available are rose and flower water, flower jam, dried fruits and concentrated grenadine.
To trace the turbulent history of Lebanon visit Tyre which is approximately 88 kilometres south of Beirut. It is purported to be the first commercial metropolis of the world, when ships laden with goods such as glass, purple dye and cedar wood plied the Mediterranean bringing prosperity to its people. It was governed and then destroyed by so many rulers including King Hiram in the 10th century, when the city experienced its most prosperous period. This caused jealousy amongst other great conquerors of the time including Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, who besieged Tyre for 13 years, after which it was the turn of Alexander the Great, who took only seven months to destroy and burn the city. On what was originally the island (the city was initially made up of two parts – the coastal city and some small islands) is a Roman city with streets paved in mosaics and bordered by columned porticoes, whilst a short distance away are the remains of what was an imposing cathedral built by the Crusaders. Within the ruins there is a Roman road dominated by a triumphal arch taking you into an immense Roman hippodrome nearly 500 metres long. Here extends an enormous necropolis with many impressive sarcophagi, amazingly decorated.
You must also take time to visit the mountains to admire the spectacular views and to visit local Lebanese villages, known for their unspoilt natural beauty, where you can also discover some of the region’s traditions and customs. From early January to late March many of the mountains are snow covered offering ideal skiing conditions with sunny skies on most days. There are at least six ski centres all fully equipped. The most popular is Ouyoun El Simane, known as Faraya Mzaar, which was established in 1957. The peak of the Mzaar ski slope, is at an altitude of 2465 metres and is the highest point reached by the ski lifts. On a clear day the Beqaa valley, Mount Hermon, the Cedars and the coast can all be seen.
What about a wine trail? The Lebanese are justly proud of the very fine wines they produce with many vintners having won gold medals at international tastings including those having taken place in France. In the heart of the Beqaa valley lies the Ksara Estate so named because at the time of the Crusaders it was the site of a fortress. In 1857 the Jesuit Fathers acquired the property when it was already a thriving vineyard and the Jesuits continued the tradition of fine wine making, selling and, I assume, tasting! Today Ksara produces wines which achieve a rare balance of fruitiness, delicacy and robustness.

If Lebanon has a literary hero, then it must surely be Gibran Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931) who was not only an acclaimed writer but a poet, philosopher and artist as well. Millions of Arabic speaking people consider him to be the genius of his age and his fame rapidly spread with his poetry having been translated into many different languages. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited in a number of the great cities of the world and were compared most favourably with the works of the great British artist and poet William Blake by none other than the French sculpture Auguste Rodin. For the last 20 years of his life Gibran lived in America from where he began to write in English. His book The Prophet, generally acclaimed as his masterpiece, has become one of the most read books of the generation. First published in 1922 it has been translated into more than 20 languages and has sold over 9 million copies in the United States alone. The book was first conceived on Mount Lebanon and Gibran did not let his publisher have sight of the manuscript for four years because he wanted to make certain that every word was the best he could write!
One of his last requests was to be able to spend his final days in his home village of Bsharreh and to be buried in the tiny monastery of Mar Sarkis. The first part of his wish was not to be but his tomb now lies in the monastery which is today also the Gibran museum. Here are displayed many of his paintings (including a number of self portraits and those of his family), drawings and manuscripts which convey the mood swings of this mystical and introverted genius.
If you only visit one historical place in Lebanon it must surely be Baalbek. This is not only one of the country’s greatest Roman treasures it is also one of the wonders of the ancient world. Not only will you see the largest and most noble of all the Roman temples ever built but also some of the best preserved.
Baalbek is situated in the eastern part of Lebanon about 85 kilometres from Beirut, where the Beqaa plain lies enclosed by two mountain ranges setting off the monumental proportions of the temples which proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The Bacchus temple is generally accepted as the undoubted masterpiece and has been extremely well preserved because of the Arab fortifications built around the temple. It is linked to the temple of Jupiter with access by an imposing staircase and a colossal door decorated with nymphs and mythological deities. A short distance away stands another true jewel of Roman architecture, the temple of Venus and in another section is the 8th century Umayyad mosque.
For a wonderful setting for lunch try the restaurant of the Palmyra Hotel, an ancient building, meticulously renovated and offering excellent food in a setting that can best be described as a ” baronial hall ” with views from the windows directly overlooking the temples of Baalbek.
One of Lebanon’s most dramatically beautiful spots is the resort region simply known as “The Cedars” which is 1800 metres above sea level. It is indeed unfortunate that due to centuries of plundering the number of cedars have seriously diminished with only a few isolated reserves remaining today. The most beautiful cedar trees are those from Bsharreh, many of which are estimated to be nearly 2,000 years old having reached a height of some 35 metres with trunks in the region of 14 metres around. There is no more beautiful site than to see these trees with their branches positioned outward with layers of snow as if in prayer! Bsharreh is also another excellent skiing venue with a fabulous view of the Qadisha valley from its highest slopes.

How to get to Lebanon?
I would suggest arranging your flights with the Lebanese National Carrier – MEA – Middle East Airlines. It has a modern fleet of aircraft and ambitious plans for the future, offering leisure and business travellers an excellent service with regular weekly flights to Beirut International Airport from many of Europe’s most important cities including London, Paris and Frankfurt.
I hope that after reading my report you will have come to the conclusion that I consider Lebanon to be a very special country and if I have succeeded in making you decide “to take the plunge” to see it for yourself, then I feel that my work has not been in vain and that my genuine enthusiasm has got through to you!

Fayrouz - the Lebanese diva with the golden throat

No matter which Arab country you happen to visit, there is no avoiding the dark and powerful voice of Fairuz.

Whether sitting in a bus or being more or less forced to listen to a neighbor’s radio, the Lebanese diva with the golden throat, who is now 73, sweetens every Arab morning, singing full of passion and romantic about the beauty of her homeland, celebrating the holy city of Jerusalem or remembering wistfully life in the countryside.

Her mixture of European rhythms and traditional Arab music culture delights and inspires millions of Arabs – be they Moslem, Christian or Druze; be they Palestinian, people in the Gulf Sates or Moroccans. And even we in the distant West, far away from where she is famous, profit totally unnoticed from the art of her singing. For example, the pop singer Shakira reflected on her Lebanese roots and undoubtedly surprised some fan in 2008 with her confession of love for the Arab icon.

But tiny Lebanon, its people and their descendents, give delight to East and West not only in the field of music. The country has also made a major contribution in matters of literature with Gibran Khalil Gibran. Hardly a bibliophile can pass this great author by. His mixture of philosophy and lyric poetry about love, life, and death touches the hearts of Arabs, Americans, and Europeans alike because Gibran created a bridge in his work that connects the Orient and Occident and merges the strengths of both cultures in fascinating and inspiring stories and thoughts. Particularly with his best known novel, The Prophet, he was, in a brilliant way, able to combine a Western view of the world with Eastern romantic and melancholy. It is said he labored 25 years on the worldly wisdom of his protagonist, Al-Mustafa. Over 80 years after publication and almost 70 years after Gibran’s death, people around the globe are still impressed and captivated by his stories.

Whether in the far-flung West or in the Near East, Arab artists enrich and leave their mark on culture, intellect and entertainment as much as do Western artists. Those who still believe that the Arab world remains outside modern art and culture and has nothing more to offer than 1001 Arabian Nights or religious fanaticism, is once more hiding behind vague delusions or negative stereotypes. Lebanon is proof. “Small but impressive” is what one wants to exclaim when thinking of the country that brought forth such greats as Fairuz and Gibran.

But also the fashion designer Elie Saab, whose creation Halle Berry wore when she accepted her Oscar, as well as Tony Shalhoub, the two-time Emmy winner and star of the TV series Monk, have their roots in the 10,452 sq km Mediterranean state, and their Arab background is characterized in their being and work. Perhaps such artists could sometime serve as mediators between cultures and break down prejudice, fears, and lack of respect between the Arab and the Western worlds through their work and smooth the path for a productive and respectful dialog.

Whoever has once had the fortune of listening to Fairuz’s musical interpretation of one of Gibran’s poems will certainly cherish such reveries and will want to go on to explore Arab culture and art with enthusiasm and passion.

Natalia Gorzawski

Bernd-Dieter Fridrich
(Berlin/Brussels), Economic Editor,
Journalist specialized in tourism and
environmental protection
( AEJ / FIJET / TELI / UBJET )

Lebanon has two strong neighbors, Syria and Israel. Although the Maronite Christians are a minority, they have traditionally governed the country that was declared a French mandate in 1920, was granted formal independence on November 26, 1941, and gained complete autonomy with the reinstatement of its Lebanese officeholders on November 22, 1943. Since then, the 22nd of November has been its national day. Lebanon threatened to break apart because of a civil war that broke out between Muslims and Christians in 1975. In 1989, Saudi Arabia negotiated a peace settlement in its western city of Ta’if that fixed confessional parity. The political situation became stabile and economic recovery slowly began in the country bordering the Mediterranean with a population of just under four and a half million (c. 95% Arabs, 4% Armenians, and a Kurdish minority). Its capital lying on the Mediterranean is Beirut. Once known as the “Paris of the Near East,” it is home to more than a forth of all Lebanese.
The victor in the Lebanese parliamentary elections of July 7, 2009, was the pro-Western “March 14 Coalition,” which was able to gain 71 of a total of 128 Parliament seats. The “March 8 Coalition” won only 57 seats. Saad Hariri, the son of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former head of government assassinated on February 14, 2005, in Beirut and now charged with forming a government, spoke after the election of a victory for Lebanon and the Lebanese people. Nevertheless, the new government is facing a great number of major tasks, with the real challenge probably being dealing with the Hezbollah. A consensus seems (at least outwardly) to have formed among the major political players for a will to return to institutional normality. For the chronically instable country, this is certainly a noteworthy step toward more political and, further on down, economic stability: although a number of unresolved conflicts continue to broil beneath the surface.
Peace and personal security – that is what the generally very peaceful people want living in this country with a total area of 10,452 square kilometer. Significant social problems have resulted during the last half century from the massive rural exodus to the cities where more the half of all Lebanese now live and an even larger percentage work. Along side Arabic as the official language, French is widespread on traffic signs and as the language of the elite, while English has only recently emerged as the third language and is gaining influence. A little more than half are Muslim, the majority being Shi’ites; in addition there are Christians of every denomination, including the Maronites, the Greek Orthodox, the Greek Catholic and the Armenian-Apostolic believers, as well as Druze and Alawites. A special feature in the constitution is that the head of state must be a Maronite Christian, the head of government a Sunni, and the president of parliament a Shi’ite.

Geographic and Climatic Features
The country is divided into four topographical zones running parallel to the coastline.

1. the 225 kilometer-long, narrow, and usually steep coastal strip, which widens principally in the north but also somewhat in the south;
2. the very rugged Lebanon Mountains that reaches up to 3,000 meters;
3. the fertile Beqaa Valley, though lying in the rain shadow of the Lebanon Mountains, is very productive due to artificial irrigation (wine, fruit, and grain cultivation, as well as dairy farming);
4. the dry Anti-Lebanon mountain range and the 2,814 meter-high Mount Hermon on the border to Syria.

The Litani, known to the Romans as “Leontes,” with a length of 145 kilometers, is by far the longest river flowing through the Al Biqa depression. It remains within the state’s territory the whole length of its run to where it empties into the Mediterranean near Sur. The climate also varies greatly in accordance with the four, very different topographical zones. A Mediterranean climate dominates along the coast with dry, warm summers and wet, rainy winters. One finds a typical mountain climate in the mountains, with most of the precipitation in winter generally turning into snow. A very arid steppe climate dominates on the border to neighboring Syria that forms the transition to the desert climate of southern Syria and Jordan. In the coastal city of Beirut the daytime temperatures range from a pleasant average of 18 degrees Celsius in January to a scorching 30 degrees in July and August. December and January record an annual average of eleven rainy days, while August generally has a total lack of precipitation.

Opportunities for Economic Development after 15 Years of Civil War
The country is having difficulty recovering from the unrest of civil war. Thanks to foreign financial assistance and efforts to make wide-reaching reforms, a significant recovery took place in the 1990s with a stable rate of growth at the time, but which greatly slowed down at the end of the last decade. In 2001, the Lebanese economy found itself in a deep recession due to the sustained high budget deficit, rising public spending, and the long overdue economic and fiscal policy structural reforms. Privatization of the economy is only slowly moving ahead. Drug dealing and corruption still continue to have a significantly negative impact on the interest of potential investors. Thankfully, the illiteracy rate (only c. 10%) in Lebanon is one of the lowest in the whole Arab world, providing hope for good development. Basic medical care is sufficient. The staffs in the hospitals are once again almost as large as before the war.
Economic growth of seven percent is expected for 2009, while inflation last pegged at 10.7% could sink to as low as four percent. Despite the global economic and financial crisis, it was possible to perceptibly lower the national debt last year. In the meantime, the government has announced a stimulus program aimed at supporting the liquidity of the market, increasing employment, and raising private and public investment. The core points of this stimulus package are raising wages in the public service sector, speeding up publicly finance projects, and making credit available to encourage private business that is supported to this purpose by foreign donors.
About thirty percent of the nation’s land is suited for agricultural use. Most farming is done on the up to 10 kilometer-wide coastal plain and in the southern section of the Al Biqa depression. Animal husbandry (sheep, goats, cattle) is concentrated in the northern part of the Al Biqa depression and in the highlands. Unfortunately, this does not in any way meet the personal needs of the population, making the extensive import of food goods indispensable.
Many industrial businesses were destroyed by the civil war. The industrial sector contribution make up about a quarter of the gross domestic product. The processing of food, wood, and petroleum, as well as the production of textiles and paper dominate. Uncontrolled logging and quarrying during the civil war, as well as chaotic urban development, have left their mark to this day. The resources that Lebanon has include a modest amount of oil deposits, along with salt, iron ore, limestone, cooper, manganese, and phosphate. Imported oil used to feed the many power stations largely meet the country’s energy needs. A decidedly lower portion of the energy supply is contributed by the hydroelectric power plants along the Litani river.
Since the signing of the Doha Agreement of May 21, 2008, a stronger increase in imports has been recorded, particularly of industrial equipment. Over the last 25 years, Lebanon has developed from a national economy typified by the processing industry to an economy dominated by the service sector.  Nonetheless, the import statistics will continue to be dominated by the industrial sector, which, according to experts, must be more strongly developed in the future to widen Lebanon’s economic base in order to be more independent of those industries more vulnerable in times of crisis – tourism, for example.

Obligation to Tradition renews Hope for the Future
Banks and trading companies traditionally play an important role in the economy. The currency is the Lebanese pound (1 LBP / L£ = 100 piaster). In mid-August 2009 the euro traded at (1 euro) 2154.8 LBP and the USD at 1507.5 LBP (fix). Seen another way, for 1,000 LBP you would get 0.46408 euros. The tourist business is showing a positive trend. Just recently, tourism has staged a comeback. 191,000 tourists were registered alone in the month of June 2008, more than 40 percent than in the same month of last year. At the same time, hotel occupancies increased on average 85 to 90 percent in June 2009. In the first half year of 2009, about 20% of travel business revenue came from Saudi Arabian guests, with 12% each from the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. In the meantime, an unbelievable record to date of close to two million travelers from home and abroad are expected over the whole of 2009. Impressive, considering that in 2008 it was already 1.3 million – proof that Lebanon has once and for all re-entered the international tourist business. The major tourist attractions are the cities of Beirut, Baalbek, and Tripoli, as well as the crusaders’ castles, Roman sites, and the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos. The increasing number of passengers at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport can primarily be traced back to tourism. From January to July 2009, 2.7 million passengers used the airport; 28.9% more than the same time period of last year. That means 31,100 arrivals and take-offs; 31.4% more than in the first seven months of 2008. The airport was also able to record an increase in freight handling during this period, namely around 11.3%, up to 41,000 tons.
Besides the Beirut international airport, the capital’s ports and those of the coastal city of Tripoli to the north are of very great economic importance. The Beirut Port Authority announced the scope of its …

ARAB FORUM spoke with H. E. Ramez Dimechkié, Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic in Berlin, about the future of his country.

Lebanon is regarded as the gateway between the Orient and the Occident. Numerous cultures have left their legacy there on the eastern rim of the Mediterranean, while others have spread out into the world from there. As a meeting point for cultures and religions, this land known as the Switzerland of the Middle East gained the reputation of being very liberal, which has always made it attractive to artists and merchants. The balance of power of the religious factions anchored in the constitution provides stability. But the country had recently become the pawn of vested interests involved in the Middle East conflict so that news of war and civil unrest were dominant. Lebanon has now found its way back to the stability it once enjoyed with the latest presidential and parliamentary elections. ARAB FORUM spoke with H. E. Ramez Dimechkié, Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic in Berlin, about the future of his country.

ARAB FORUM: What future prospects does the election of a new parliament hold for the political scene in Lebanon and on a wider regional scale?

Dimechkié: We are currently having a difficult period of government building, but there are a number of very positive elements. We had presidential elections last year; these were followed by parliamentary elections which, by all accounts, were free and fair; relations with Syria were normalized and we now have mutual diplomatic representation. Mr. Saad Hariri has been nominated to form the government. He is facing some difficulties at the moment in doing so, but the time will come when the various parties will overcome their differences, which vary and depend very much on the so called “weather.” A compromise acceptable to all parties will be worked out. Lebanon is a country that has survived many upheavals by compromise.

ARAB FORUM: How will the diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon evolve now that a Syrian Embassy has been established in Beirut? What impact will that have on potential peace negotiations with Israel in the future?

Dimechkié: The core problem of the region must be settled. By this I mean that the Palestinian problem must be seriously addressed by the international community. The Palestinians need a solution based on UN resolutions and a sovereign, independent, and contiguous state of their own. In addition, Israel occupies Syrian and Lebanese territory. Until these issues are resolved, there can be no peace with Israel. The Arab Initiative proposed by King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia at the Beirut Summit of 2002 offered Israel an opportunity for peace with all its Arab neighbours, but the offer so far has been rejected by Israel and ignored by the international community. The U.S. and Europe should do more to promote real peace in the Middle East. We all hope that President Obama’s new initiative will not fall on deaf ears in Israel.

ARAB FOUM: There is an ongoing attempt at peaceful coexistence amongst the several sectarian religious groups in Lebanon, a balance which is also reflected in the constitution. Freedom, diversity of the press, and a vivid cultural scene are the main pillars of the Lebanese image. After years of civil war and proxy conflicts, is it possible that Lebanon could enter a new stage where sectarianism is progressively phased out?

Dimechkié: The Ta’if Accord, which ended a fifteen year civil war and was agreed by all Lebanese factions, made provision for the phasing out of sectarianism in political life. Some progress has been made, but there is much more work to be done in that respect. Cultural life remains very active. Lebanon remains the publishing capital of the Arab world and several international festivals take place every year in Baalbeck, Beiteddine, Tyre, and Byblos. The art and media scene are also very active, and true freedom of expression ensures that the media represent the diversity of the Lebanese political and cultural scenes.

ARAB FORUM: Lebanon has always been a country from which people immigrate to come back at a later stage? Could this be considered part of the Phoenician heritage of trade and travel?

Dimechkié: Certainly, the Phoenicians settled throughout the Mediterranean and beyond – in Cyprus, Carthage, Algeria, Morocco, Sicily, Italy, and Spain. Similarly, the Lebanese have emigrated to every corner of the world where they have succeeded in every walk of life. They also maintain close contact with their homeland.

ARAB FORUM: The expected growth rate for Lebanon in 2009 is 4%. What economic policies and strategies are to be employed to maintain and increase this growth rate? Tourism and the service industry constitute a big chunk of the economy; what other sectors could be developed?

Dimechkié: In fact, we expect the growth rate to be closer to 7%. There are two primary assets which have helped our economy remain prosperous. The service oriented infrastructure and the banking laws have helped Beirut maintain its appeal as the financial hub of the Middle East. The liberal economic atmosphere has also encouraged investors to invest in Lebanon. Of course, the relatively stable political climate boosted the tourism and hotel sector this year.

ARAB FORUM: Germany has taken part in the UNIFIL mission in maintaining peace in southern Lebanon. What other relationships between Lebanon and Germany are to be strengthened in the future, especially in economic and cultural fields?

Dimechkié: Germany, France, and Italy are our primary trading partners in Europe, and I expect them to remain so in the future. However, there is much room for improvement in the balance of trade with these countries. This depends not so much on our European partners, but on our ability to provide the goods and services required by these markets.
Culturally, relations with Germany go back to the 19th century. The Goethe Institute, the Orient Institute, the German Lebanese University, and several German secondary schools in Lebanon are a testament to that.

Interview: Rainer Schubert

By Natalia Gorzawski

When most people hear the word Casablanca, they think automatically of the film classic with Ingrid Bergmann and Humphrey Bogart rather than Morocco’s largest city. That great film made the city famous and bathed the whole country in Hollywood’s magic glow.
But while almost every tourist visiting Morocco gets carried away searching the streets of Casablanca for Rick’s Cafe, true film fans today are more likely to be drawn to the south of the country. At the edge of the Atlas Mountains, in a small town with the unpronounceable name of Ouarzazate, a true mecca for film enthusiasts has emerged.
And there is not even one public movie theater there. But then who wants to waste their vacation time here sitting in front of a movie screen? Movies – they mean either work or money, or an interactive family album in the video recorder, not only to the film crews that come here, who appreciate Morocco’s beautiful landscape and low labor costs, but also to the people of Ouarzazates, who often earn their livelihood the year round as film extras. Tourists as well would prefer learning more of the film business in Ouarzazate by way of a sightseeing tour through the local movie studios than the simple pleasure of watching a film on the screen.
Along side the blockbusters of Hollywood greats like Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, and Ridley Scott, more reasonably costing biblical films and historical documentary films have been and are being shot here. The untouched desert landscape, the small clay buildings and the many kasbahs in the area offer an outstanding backdrop for all productions that must avoid the signs of modern civilization and shun additional costs and bureaucratic hurdles.
And so it can happen that visitors to Ouarzazate will find a Jerusalem or Gizeh corresponding more to their romanticized image than the original sites filled with tourists. Many are willingly carried away by this world of illusion and often overlook the fact that there is a reality and life behind all the movie tinsel.
Even this has been the subject of a film. Ali Essafi dared to take a look behind the scenery in his documentary film Ouarzazate Movie. He focused on the people of the city, their life and work with and for the film industry. While prominent directors and the producers of film commercials come and go in a continuous stream, the locals usually stay all their lives in Ouarzazate. It is they who, day after day, slip into an unending variety of roles for many hours in the burning heat, lending their faces to the most diverse of eras and religions in order to transport film fans the world over into a beautiful and exciting world of illusion. With their help, the idyllic little spot and its surroundings are turned into either ancient Rome, as in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, 20th century Tibet, as in Martin Scorsese’s Kundun, or simply be itself, the fabulous Moroccan landscape it is, as in the film Babel with Brad Pitt, for example.
It becomes clear that life in the Moroccan Hollywood basically goes on as it does in many other places in the country, based on the same principles and traditions with emphasis being placed on hospitality, quality time being spent with the family, and images of the Hand of Fatima protecting the people and their possessions. Local details can almost always be found in a concentrated search of films shot in Ouarzazate, revealing a backdrop typical of North Africa despite a Wailing Wall or Jaffa Gate.
And what of the filmatic milestone, Casablanca? The original locations, including Rick’s Café, are to be found neither in Ouarzazate nor in Casablanca. The whole production was shot in studios in Hollywood, USA. All the same, visitors to Morocco who cannot do without immersing themselves in the wonderful world of the legendary romantic love story at least have the opportunity of listening to the strains of As Time Goes By and dreaming a little of Bogart and Bergmann in a reproduction of the famed bar.

Something akin to a new era began in 1999 when, after the death of his highly esteemed father, Hassan II, a young king took over the throne of Morocco, an Arab country with relatively few natural resources, whose northern tip is separated from Europe by the twelve kilometer-wide Straits of Gibraltar. For more than 300 years, the Alaouite Dynasty has ruled the North African kingdom with its well over 30 million inhabitants living on a 458,730 square kilometer area of land, who, on July 30, 2009, will celebrate the 10th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne as a national holiday. The young king, a direct descendant of the Prophet, but who is affectionately called “M6” despite his state office and all his religious dignity, cautiously yet consequently struck out on new paths, particularly in the economy and society, despite some resistance from the conservative parliament.
Today, Morocco is an attractive economic location thanks to the ambitious reform programs of its political leader, who wields far more power than any of the crowned heads of Europe. With the traditional title of “Commander of the Faithful,” he is also the highest religious authority of this Sunni Islamic state; a modern monarch who knows the advantages of close political involvement in the economy. It was not by chance that he chose the subject “The Cooperation between the European Union and the Union of the Arab Maghreb” for his graduate thesis in France. He appointed experts to key positions in the government and business, preferring those who had been educated in France or the USA. He clearly aligned his strategy to the Western business model. He based all individual measures on this; such as the streamlining of the state apparatus through systematic reductions in staff, privatization of the economy, substantial tax reforms, liberalization of the business and investment laws, and the independence of the central bank; although initially the structure of the economy as a whole has only marginally been changed in the last two decades. Agriculture, phosphate production, and tourism continue to remain the pillars of the national economy.

Morocco on the way to becoming an important hub of trade with the West
Although not yet all of the measures have totally taken grip, which is not to be expected considering Mohammed VI’s relatively short period of time in office and not least of all considering the global economic crisis, a sense of optimism prevails in the country. The transport infrastructure, the rail and road networks as well as airports, is being briskly expanded. Construction has been booming for several years. The King wants to develop Morocco into the trading hub between Europe and the United States and whole of the North African region. The Euro-Mediterrane Association Agreement entered into with the European Union aims at free trade by 2010. Special trade agreements with the USA and Turkey have been in effect since the beginning of 2006. The so-called Agadir Agreement with Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan perceptibly supports trade in the region.
An economy supported by the government and low cost labor attract foreign investors. The traditionally important tourist trade has a great potential for development. Weak points for economic development continue to be sustained high unemployment and strong population growth – 30.3 percent of all Moroccans were under 15 years-of-age in 2005, while persons over 65 only made up 5.2 percent of the total population. The rate of literacy (52 % in 2006) and school attendance (94 % primary grades, 39 % secondary grades) continue to leave much to be desired in comparison to North African neighbors. In the year of reference, public spending for education amounted to only six percent of the gross national product and has only marginally improved since then. A convincing, broad impact on education is not yet discernible.

Plan Maroc Vert
Obstacles of a different kind continue to be the weakening effects of drought that occasionally give farmers a hard time, for example in 1995; although basically this economic sector is largely able to supply the needs of the Moroccan population. All the same, the agricultural sector, which contributes about 16 percent of the country’s net product, remains the Achilles heel of the economy. Due to the extensive methods of cultivation, agriculture is dependent in a special way on weather conditions. That is why the Minister for Agriculture and Maritime Fishing, Aziz Akhannouch, is focusing on a new basic orientation of this economic sector with a major stress on ecology.
The “Plan Maroc Vert,” which has the modernization and sustained development of the agricultural sector as its goal, has been able to record initial success since the start of 2008. The amount of investment carried out during the first year, predominantly from foreign investors, totaled twelve billion dirham (DH), which corresponds roughly to 1.063 billion euro. The monies were invested in environmental friendly livestock breeding, and grain, fruit and olive cultivation projects. The projects carried out within the framework of this development plan are meant to not only lower poverty in the rural areas of the country but also to create a total of up to 1.5 million new jobs. In addition, in view of the unusually large amount of precipitation in the current year, a record grain harvest is expected.

One infrastructure project after the other
A very important project to promote domestic economic structure is the creation of a deep sea port in Tangier, including integrated industry and duty free zones in the region. Two of the port’s container terminals are already in operation. Between 2003 and 2008, two billion euros have been spent on the “TangerMed I” project. By 2013, about the same amount is expected to flow into the construction of the harbor, transport connections and the development of industrial zones. TMSA (TangerMed Special Agency), the company responsible, is privately organized, with the Moroccan royal house significantly involved.
Another major industrial project concerns the mining and processing of the only natural resource Morocco has worth mentioning, namely phosphate. The Kingdom is the world’s leading exporter; due to the skyrocketing price of phosphate on the world market (from 44 USD per ton of raw phosphate to over 400 dollars within just two years) Moroccan export revenues have risen tremendously. The OCP, a state monopoly, has been producing about 28 million tons of raw phosphate annually and wants to jack up its capacity to 55 million tons a year by 2012. The expansion plans are accompanied by a great demand for mining equipment and processing technology. Among other things, the rail transport from the mines to the Jorf Lasfar processing platform and its integrated harbor is to be replaced by a pipeline. In addition, OCP offers an attractive structure in Jorf Lasfar for foreign companies to process raw phosphate into phosphoric acid or finished fertilizer themselves. This offer is already being taken advantage of by well-known Brazilian, Belgian, Pakistani and Indian fertilizer producers.
Electric power also offers extremely attractive possibilities for foreign investors. The annual demand for electricity has risen annually in the last five years by eight percent. The capacity of the power plants installed by 2008 totalling 5.292 kw is by far not enough for the peak periods. Expensive power imported from Spain and Algeria have considerably burdened the budget of the Moroccan electric company, ONE. Only in February of this year, the state provided ONE with fresh capital to cover its need to update the capacity of its power plants as well as its transmission networks and electric grids. The power plant program is not limited to the use of conventional energy sources; the construction of a coal power plant in Safi with an output of 1.320 kw is probably the most significant project.
The subject of renewable energy is also way at the top of the government’s timetable. A combination gas and solar thermal power plant is under construction in Ain Béni Mathar, with a 472 mw capacity. Altogether, it is planned that a purely solar power plant with a total output of good 500 mw will be built by 2015. The setting up of wind parks has already begun several years ago. By the close of 2012, wind wheels with a capacity of 1,000 mw will be either feeding their power into the net or serve, for example, to run large-scale desalination plants. The present weakness in the Moroccan power supply also lies in that about a third of the current output is supplied by 26 water power plants, whose reservoir lakes are used not only to produce power but also to irrigate agricultural land. These energy sources regularly fail, particularly in the hot summer months, because the water level is too low. The basic load then has to be carried by the conventional thermo power plants, which are almost unable to cope.
Even though renewable sources of energy are being promoted, they offer no solution to meeting the basic load in the long-term as long as the technical problem of storing the energy is not solved. In this respect, talk keeps returning to the alternative use of nuclear energy.
Lastly, the expansion of the transit infrastructure has a high ranking with the planned construction of a rapid transit railway (TGV) between Casablanca and Tangier. The public transport network is relatively good; a highway links the capital of Rabat with Casablanca. The roads and byways in rural areas, however, are oft times hopelessly covered with sand and, in keeping with the natural environment, especially so in the southern, semi-arid desert regions of the country.

Further glimpses into the economy
The export business is largely dependent on the demand from Europe and the USA and is therefore unable to extract itself from the global recession; which, however, only marginally diminishes the attractiveness of the Moroccan market. The infrastructure and industrial projects already initialized will continue to be carried out, albeit with some delays in the timetables. The domestic demand remains at a high level because of the excellent results from the agricultural sector. Economics Minister Salaheddine Mezouar sees economic growth in 2009 reaching over five percent despite breaches in the export market; only slightly less than the tentative estimate of 5.8 percent for 2008.
The consistent effort to bring the country closer to the European Union has already made such progress that in October of last year the EU Commission granted Morocco “Statut Avancé” status and agreed to the gradual adoption of “Acquis Communautaire,” according to which all rights and duties of an EU country apply to the Maghreb nation. Morocco not only wants to integrate into the EU but also bring itself largely in line with the legal and social parameters of the EU. This means the country is already foreseeably creating an excellent basis for companies from the EU region to enter the market by offering the numerous investment benefits that comprise five chapters of the so-called Investment Charter, published in the official journal No. 4336 from December 6, 1995, which are available, by the way, to local investors as well.
For that reason, the smooth conducting of payment transactions with foreign countries is at the top of the financial market agenda. The government in the nation’s capital, Rabat (with a population of 700,000 and its sister city, Salé, with approx. 1.6 million people), is attempting to eliminate still existing obstacles. An administrative apparatus that remains quite ponderous does not exactly make the matter easier. All the same, Rabat is keeping its sights on the liberalization of payment transactions for the smooth financing of export businesses.

Automibile Industry takes a new direction
The automobile industry in Morocco began in 1960 with the founding of SOMACA (Moroccan Society of Automobile Construction) to meet the growing domestic demand. With the beginning of the 1990s, a decline in the number of cars locally assembled was noted, which led to a disadvantage in the industry’s supply. Subsequently, the policy makers developed  a new strategy for the construction of more economic vehicles that laid an emphasis on granting cooperating automobile makers economic advantages as a considerable reward for components produced locally destined both for the assembly line as well as for export. In 1995, the government underwrote together with the car makers the economic car project that provided for a final, combined balloon payment of 50 percent and exemption from customs at import, as well as a perceptible reduction of VAT (7 %).
An automobile assembly plant is in the process of being built near the port of TangerMed. The first cars should be rolling off the assembly line by 2010. Renault/Nissan originally announced a final annual capacity of 400,000 units by 2013. With Nissan’s withdrawal being made final, Renault plans to carry out the project now on its own, but clearly reduced production figures are to be expected.

Laraki Fulgura

The Economy at a Glance

Leading import countries
France (16 %), Spain (10 %), Italy, USA, PR of China and Saudi Arabia (each 6 %), Russia and Germany (each 5 %).

Imports
Semi-finished goods (23 %), capital goods (21 %), energy and lubricants (20 %), consumer goods (19 %), food, drinks and tobacco (10 %)

Leading export countries
France (28 %), Spain (21 %), Great Britain (6 %), Italy (5 %), India (4 %).

Exports
Consumer goods (30 % – incl. 17 % ready-made clothing and 7 % cotton fabrics), semi-finished goods (28 % – incl. 8 % phosphoric acid, 6 % fertilizer and 5 % transistors), food, drinks and tobacco (18 %), capital goods (12 %), raw minerals (8 %)

Gross domestic product according to sector
Services  56 %
Industry 28 %
Agriculture  16 %

Employment according to sector
Agriculture 45 %
Services 35 %
Industry 20 %

Key Macro-Economic Figures

Gross domestic product 2006 (nominal)
65.6 billion USD (2006)
75.1 billion USD (2007, est.)
90.5 billion USD (2008, est.)

Gross domestic product per capita
2.152 USD (2006)
2.422 USD (2007, est.)
2.902 USD (2008, est.)

Inflation rate
3.3 % (2006)
2,1 % (2007)
3,9 % (2008, est.)

Unemployment
9.7 % (2006)
9.8 % (2007)
9.2 % (2008, est.)

Foreign trade Imports:
21.3 billion USD (2006)
28.7 billion USD (2007)
34.8 billion USD (2008, est.)
Exports:
11.9 billion USD (2006)
12.7 billion USD (2007)
16.1 billion USD (2008, est.)

Bernd-Dieter Fridrich
(Berlin/Brussels), Business Editor,
Journalist specialized in tourism and
environmental protection
( AEJ / FIJET / TELI / UBJET )

H. E. Mr. Rachad Bouhlal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Germany

ARAB FORUM: Excellency, this year Morocco is celebrating the 10th year of His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s accession to the throne. Which are the most important reforms launched since then?

Bouhlal: Since his accession to the throne in July 1999, His Majesty King Mohammed VI has launched important political, economic and social reforms, which allowed Morocco to step into the 21st century with confidence.
For the emancipation of women, for example; His Majesty has initiated a new approach and a new vision by reforming the status of women through the revision of the family law. This reform is considered as a cultural and social revolution in the Arab and Muslim worlds.
According to this new law, the family is now under the responsibility of the two spouses. The patriarchal supervision concerning marriages of women has been abolished. For marriage, both genders should have reached the age of 18. Repudiation has been suppressed and replaced by divorce under judiciary control. For the first time, on the other hand, women are nominated to the council of oulemas (theological council). It is also now possible for women to become preachers (“morchidades”). Finally, following the legislative elections in September 2007, the new government includes seven women ministers in key departments, such as foreign affairs, health, culture, energy, mining and environment, social development, youth and sports and education.
Concerning the human rights issue, His Majesty the King installed in January 2004 the Equity and Reconciliation Authority, which is in charge of establishing the truth of charges of human rights violations from independence to 1999. Within the framework of its mandate, the Authority sets up victims hearing, missions of inspection, inquiries, investigation and arbitration. Furthermore, a national program of education on human rights has been introduced in school manuals.
The judiciary system has also been modernized to fit within international conventions. A law condemning torture has been adopted.
Moreover, His Majesty the King launched the National Initiative on Human Development to fight poverty, exclusion, ignorance and illiteracy.

ARAB FORUM: Can you give us a general view on Moroccan-German relations?

Bouhlal: Very few people know that the relationship between Morocco and Germany started more than five centuries ago. In 1506, the German Welser and Fugger families established the first commercial outposts in Safi. To mention the most important agreements at that time, I can recall that in 1792, the first one was signed between Morocco and Prussia, Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck. In 1802, a first maritime shipping agreement was concluded with the Hanseatic City of Hamburg and, in 1890, the first commercial agreement was signed.
The first step in our diplomatic relations started in 1872 when Chancellor Bismarck designated a consul in Tangiers.
Since its independence in 1956, Morocco has maintained permanent diplomatic relations with Germany. Even nowadays, there is a mutual interest from both sides to strengthen these ties and this tendency is well reflected in the increasing frequency of official visits from both sides. In 2008, twelve Moroccan ministers visited the Federal Republic of Germany.
Approaching 120,000 persons, the Moroccan diaspora contributes strongly in the strengthening of these ties. Germany is also very attractive to Moroccan students. There are close to 8,000 students enrolled in the German universities.
Morocco is a key partner for Germany in the Maghreb and Middle East region. On the other hand, Germany is among Morocco’s major trading partners in the world.
To speak about development aid, the last inter-governmental negotiations took place in July 2008 in Bonn. The German Government pledged a total of 98.5 million euros dedicated to hydroelectric projects, drinking water, sustainable economic development, environment and climate change, water management, as well as wastewater and solid waste disposal. As early as 1965, the financial cooperation between the two countries reached 1.56 billion euros.
As far as the promotion of investment is concerned, the two countries are linked by an investment promotion and protection agreement. There exist further opportunities to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in infrastructure, renewable energy and environment.

ARAB FORUM: Since your arrival in Germany, you and the Embassy have organized various events and exhibitions to support Moroccan art and artists. What is the concept behind this initiative of presenting your country through art?

Bouhlal: We conceived the idea of establishing this cultural centre in 2005 dedicated as a new means of strengthening German-Moroccan cooperation, particularly in the fields of art and culture.
We understood that in an increasingly globalized world in which people are able to travel and exchange information faster than ever before, where there is also a growing interdependency between nations and inter-cultural interactions, has become a major challenge for international relations in the 21st century. Cultural diplomacy has, nowadays, increased in importance
Opened for the benefit of both Moroccan and German artistic creativity, this cultural space is in effect a continuation of the established bilateral relations between Morocco and Germany.
The center was first of all meant to promote and disclose the richness of Moroccan culture and traditions to Germans and the international community. Therefore, through the organization of exhibitions, our main aim is to present to the broad German public the authentic and modern aspects of Morocco, the openness of its culture and its commitment to inter-cultural dialogue.
Secondly, we wanted to reveal to the public that many Moroccan artists live in Germany and that they can be as productive as their German counterparts.
Thirdly, the exhibitions, held almost monthly, are our choice of ways to continuously address, in an artistic language, our German friends and public.

ARAB FORUM: Morocco is investing a great deal of money in its infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism. What are the most important projects?

Bouhlal: Over the last decade, Morocco embarked on an ambitious structural reform program aimed at further liberalizing its markets and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy. This policy was designated to allow our economy to achieve more solid growth, to improve the living conditions of the people, and to reduce social and regional gaps.
Therefore, it is obvious that today the Moroccan economy is much more robust, because economic growth reached 5% in 2000. Tourism, telecommunications and textile register the best figures. Moreover, we successfully installed a more diversified economy and the improvements were felt in various key sectors, such as industry and agriculture.
My country launched several national planning and development strategies. “The Green Plan” is among the most important ones. To be enacted over a period of 10 years, this ambitious plan aims at developing the agricultural and food production sectors at a cost of about $13.8 billion USD.
Not only are the public sectors involved in the investment of the project, but also local and foreign partners. The project consists of $1.4 billion of investment yearly. It is mainly concerned with 1,500 agricultural projects devoted to improve rural production of olive oil, vegetables, fruits, and grains. All of those activities benefit from the free trade agreements with the USA and the European Union.
Regarding infrastructure, on the other hand, Morocco is working hard to expand, modernize and enlarge the transport sector through rebuilding high-speed train rails, ports, and airports. All these initiatives have been launched to suit industry and tourism needs. The motorway network, which should be 1,500 km by 2010, is growing yearly by 160 km.
The very important Tangiers-Med port complex has an integrated infrastructure with a sustainable development perspective. Started in 2004, it consists of a commercial and industrial port on the shores of the straits, east of Tangiers, in line with the strategic decision to transform the region into an investment hub with a regionally integrated development approach. Tangiers-Med is the result of this vision supported by transnational considerations that are of strategic importance for Morocco to ensure competitiveness, a new basis for territorial planning, and local development.
We can take pride in this project, because in the course of one year, Morocco was able to build a modern port in the Strait of Gibraltar region. It is not only the low costs that attract investors but also the range of benefits that the State accords to investors, as noted recently even by the German press.
The Tangiers-Med terminus has just been completed at a cost of 140 million euros. This year more than one million containers should be unloaded. In total, the port managers expect seven to eight million containers per year. We have to recall that the Strait of Gibraltar is situated at a strategic location on the way from the Far East region to Europe and to the east coast of the United States.
Many international investors such as the Eurogate group of Hamburg have discovered the north of Morocco to be a new investment site right at Europe’s doorstep.
Morocco will have invested 10.29 billion USD in the energy sector by 2015. The National Energy Plan of Morocco includes the building of more power plants, expanding oil storage capacity, the modernization of distribution networks, and the offering of additional loans for the exploration for hydrocarbons.
All of these major projects being carried out across the country are not hindered by the global economic gloom. We should stress that these projects provide greatly diversified business opportunities for the German private sector with a very good business legal framework. We notice that Morocco is attracting an ever increasing number of German companies, which contributes in part to the economic development of the country.

ARAB FORUM: Morocco is among the first Arab countries to open bis 2015 its gates to so-called low cost airlines. What are the effects and expectations of this open-sky strategy? How important is it to the relationship between Morocco and Europe and the Moroccan tourist industry?

Bouhlal: The “Open-skies Agreement” that Morocco concluded with the European Union is the first of its kind that the EU signed with a country outside its borders. This agreement came into force in summer 2006.
The latest European report on Morocco’s reforms and the implementation of the EU-Moroccan Free Trade Agreement indicated that the open skies agreement has achieved an increase of 17% in air traffic; it also allowed the creation of 52 new routes and the entry into the Moroccan market of 12 new airlines. Moreover, the agreement lowered the prices and widened the choice for the European tourists. It contributed to the development of the tourist industry, as well helped to create jobs.
On the other hand, “The 2010 Vision” is a cornerstone strategy as regards tourism. Its main aim is to attract 10 million tourists by 2010 and to create some 160,000 new hotel beds, efforts that will bring the total national capacity to 230,000 beds. The country also hopes to create 600,000 new tourism sector jobs.
A key component of the Vision 2010 is the “Azur Plan,” which identified six key resorts to be developed along the country’s extensive coastline.
I might stress that German tourists are very familiar with the highly diversified and beautiful Moroccan tourist destinations. The Moroccan Office of Tourism based in Düsseldorf works to promote Moroccan destinations in Germany, which is considered to be one of the major targeted markets in Europe.

ARAB FORUM: What are the benefits and improvements provided by the Euro-Mediterranean integration-process through the Union for the Mediterranean initiated by French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarcozy compared to the original ideas and initiatives of the Barcelona process?

Bouhlal: Morocco believes that the initiative of the Union for the Mediterranean is part of an innovative logic which further boosts the EuroMed Partnership through the consolidation of relations between the European Union (EU) and its immediate neighbors. This part of the world is strategic for the EU, in terms of culture, economic development, peace, security, and environment protection.
This initiative allowed putting the Mediterranean region at the top of the European agenda as a main issue. From the outset, Morocco welcomed the idea to set up this project, considering it to be an opportunity to enhance the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership at a higher level and improve its efficiency and visibility, allowing, at the same time, to achieve the following:

• • Making the Mediterranean a union among equal partners;
  • Establish a real balance between the three pillars of the Euro-med Partnership, namely political, economic and financial, cultural and social;
  • Embody the principle of joint ownership, especially at the institutional and decision-making levels;
  • Give more importance to cooperation, which is necessary for the development of the region;
  • Strengthening the dimension related to the implementation of projects;
  • Involve the civil society more, including local and regional authorities, especially in the implementation of the partnership.

In this context, Morocco has participated actively in the drafting of the Paris Declaration. It has contributed to the first decision of the ministers of the Union, which took place in November 2008. This decision aimed to enhance the Mediterranean partnership in the fields of finance, investment, energy and the technology of information.

Interview: Natalia Gorzawski

Moroccans in Eurpoe

The political integration of immigrants, particularly those with a Muslim background, is regularly made a subject of discussion by immigrant groups, Turkish and Arab organizations, and occasionally even by the press. Despite the large number (close to 3.3 million) of devote Muslims in Germany, their presence is little felt in politics. Many are plagued by the thought that the prejudice against and fear of Islam are so great in this country that one does not even dare to give this segment of the population its legitimate voice in politics.
Our neighbor Holland, of all countries, which has rather made a name for itself through negative headlines linked to Islam, has shown proof that there is another way. Despite the scandal surrounding the filmmaker Van Gogh, who was murdered by an Islamic extremist for his film critical of Islam, and the hate campaign led by the rightist populist Member of Parliament, Geert Wilder, the Moroccan, Ahmed Aboutaleb, has been head of the second largest city in the country since October 2008, Rotterdam. It can be seen here that they are basically not concerned about the clash described by the American theorist, Samuel P. Huntington, between the hostile opposing cultural groups of Christians and Muslims. The fact is that Aboutaleb is a fan of the Amsterdam Ajax soccer club and that raises the tempers of the good people in Rotterdam far more than his Arab and Muslim background.
Aboutaleb, son of an Imam, came to the Netherlands at the age of 15, worked at first as a journalist, and then climbed the political party career ladder, rung by rung, until he was elected mayor of Rotterdam. He stands for the rather conservative camp of his party, decidedly rejecting all forms of religious extremism, and is considered in the debate on integration to be some one who considers both problems and opportunities equally, without glossing over or exaggerating them. The Netherlands has thus proven that even in times of international terrorism, Huntington’s “Clash of the Cultures and having politicians like Geert Wilders, it is possible to make a rational judgment about a person with a Muslim background. And, by the way, this has made our neighbor a shining example of political integration in Europe. This has made the devote Muslim Aboutaleb known outside his administrative district as well, which is evident in the visit made to Rotterdam by Heinz Buschkowsky, Mayor of Berlin’s problem district, Neukölln, in 2008, and Aboutaleb’s reception about three-fourths of a year later in Berlin for an exchange of project ideas, integration measures, and strategies for dealing with problems.
This visit, and the attention of the German press that Aboutaleb gained along with it, is perhaps a first step toward the integration of Muslim immigrants. Perhaps Aboutaleb can also make it clear that there is no well-defined, antagonistic culture here, but rather common ground and values. At any rate, no Muslim has been elected to head a major city in Germany or to any other similarly significant post to date. But even in the issue of political integration there is a small shimmer of hope. Strangely enough, it is the youth organization of the CDU, the Schülerunion, that shows how close Islam and Christianity can be. None other than the next generation of the party that enjoys a rather negative claim to fame in immigration policies through Roland Koch’s escapades with the issue of foreigners and the rejection of the Turkish entrance into the EU, and on top of that is the only European political party with a reference to Christianity in its name, presents itself as a trailblazer of political integration.
Younes Ouaqasse, the national chairman of the CDU’s Schülerunion, is living proof of this. Just like Aboutaleb, he is a devote Muslim and attended school for considerable time in Morocco. It was particularly the conservative Christian values that convinced the son of Moroccan immigrants of the Union’s political program, and so he stands for the fact that the religious and cultural divide between Muslims, Christians, Germans, and Arabs is not so great and as incompatible as the media often represent. The problems seem to start when the irrational fear of the violent terrorist stereotype built up over the years runs rampant, preventing measured dialog from providing clarity. Aboutaleb and Ouaqasse not only stand for being members of a particular major segment of the population and their catalog of values in the political process, but also enable a wider public to revise the negative image of Islam common today and to separate the tolerant Muslim majority from the small Muslim minority of extremists.

tourism morocco

The history of Morocco goes back to Roman times when it was part of the Roman province of Mauritania after which it fell to the Vandals in the 5th century. The Vandals were a German tribe that during the first four centuries AD migrated southwards from Scandinavia and the Southern Baltic coast. They sacked Rome, creating great devastation in their wake; this also gave rise to the meaning of the word “vandalism” as we know it today. Morocco was under the Berber dynasties from the 11th to the 14th centuries and then became a Barbary pirate base under the Portuguese (1415 to 1759). In the early part of the 20th century it was divided into French and Spanish protectorates and in 1923 it was the international zone of Tangier. In 1956 it became a Sultanate and a year later a Kingdom under King Mohammed V, whilst his son Hassan II came to the throne in 1961, reigning for 38 years until his death on the 30th July, 1999, when he was succeeded by his son, who became King Mohammed VI.
Morocco is the gateway to Africa; exotic, surprising, and enthralling. It has golden beaches, snow-capped mountains, deep gorges and shifting Saharan “sand seas.” You can enjoy the amenities of modern coastal resorts like Agadir or do as I did and visit the jewel in Morocco’s crown – Marrakech, the country’s most imperial city. Here you will find ancient ramparts, interesting palaces, mosques and gardens. The old town is a maze of souks and alleyways, whilst the new part of the city has elegant, wide avenues, flanked by jacaranda and orange trees.

One of the most fascinating places to visit in Marrakech is the market place Djemaa el Fna, also known as the ” Square of the Beheaded” – why so called I do not know but along with you, dear reader, I can guess the reason for this sinister name. Fear not, for it is now a place filled with an amazing array of visitors who are attracted by the acrobats, jugglers, fortune-tellers and the many miracle healers. Also to be seen wooing the tourists is a turbaned snake charmer who has a deadly poisonous scorpion crawling over his protruding tongue, as well as a frightening display of vipers. In another corner of the market is the storyteller with his tales about a demonic woman, known as Aisha Kandisha, who could lay a curse on a man at will turning him into an eternal bachelor. As a married man, I ask myself is it a curse to be a bachelor? Nearby, is a group of musicians wearing caps studded with shells and twirling and whirling just like dervishes! These musicians, the Gnaouas, are purported to have been endowed with magic powers in return for having made a pact with the “spirit world.” Further along the bazaar are authentic souks where you will find all the wonders of the region within the many and varied small shops, including curved daggers made of silver, attractively embroidered leather bags, luxurious wedding slippers, wonderful rugs and carpets, traditional earthenware and pottery, as well as a variety of artistically designed tables inlaid with aromatic woods.
On the busy Ragba Kedima Place, merchants are selling dried thorn tailed lizards, allegedly for medicinal purposes, and porcupine brushes, supposedly to be used as a cosmetic aid. This is in an area where in days gone by slaves were once traded. Nowadays, herbal healers sing the praises of orange flower water and Spanish fly as aphrodisiacs.

Still in the souk is Dyers Alley with its vast array of brightly coloured yarn hanging out to dry. Unfortunately, the artisans of this old trade are gradually being pushed aside by the souvenir traders, presumably because selling souvenirs is more lucrative. Oblivious to all around him in an adjoining alleyway sits one of the Sufis, a member of a mystical Islamic brotherhood dating back to the 8th century AD, surrounded by an enormous heap of rose petals which are looked upon by the brotherhood as being the incarnation of “heavenly” perfume.
Not to be missed is a visit to the 14th century Moorish-designed building known as the Medersa Ben Youssef, which was formerly a Koran university but is now a museum. The attractively designed Arabesque figures adorning the tiles and the ornamental vines painted on the stucco walls of the building are reminiscent of the architecture that flourished during the heyday of Islam in the Spanish cities of Cordoba, Grenada, and Seville. In former times the cleverer Moroccan man who had learned the Koran by heart went on to study the Sunni theology of Islam. Many were then sent to the Berber hinterland to become Islamic missionaries or members of the judiciary. The splendour of the Medersa is attributed to the Arab dynasty within the south of the country, which became known as the Beni Saad. In 1591, the Saadis conquered the trading centre of Timbuktu, thus bringing unbelievable wealth to this dynasty, thereby enabling them to erect “the Jewel of the Casbah,” the Saadi Mausoleum in the ostentatious Hispanic-Moorish style.
It is also well worth arranging an excursion to visit Mount Toubkal, which, at over 4.000 metres, is the highest mountain in North Africa. It takes about two hours by coach to arrive at the picturesque Berber village of Imlil. Then, be prepared for a long trek through the High Atlas mountains with the route going through the ancient cliff top village of Aremd where there is to be found the grave of Sidi Chamharouch, the legendary Islamic preacher, who allegedly could banish evil spirits and cure infertility. Before arriving at the peak you will come across snowfields and later on alpine flora before ascending still further when you will have a wonderful view of the many mountain chains and plateaus before arriving at Mount Toubkal in the Moroccan Great Atlas Range.
Back in Marrakech be sure to visit one of the many folklore restaurants to savour a typical Moroccan dish of roast lamb straight out of the charcoal oven. Whilst you are enjoying your dinner, local horsemen will be “kicking up dust in the streets” riding their Arab and Berber horses.

Where to stay?
If you want to spoil yourself, then you must choose the elegant Hotel La Mamounia located right in the heart of Marrakech within its own lush tropical gardens surrounded by 12th century ramparts of the old city. The General Manager and his dedicated staff pride themselves on giving all their guests traditional Moroccan hospitality and the hotel is also renowned as a meeting place for celebrities from all over the world – the good, the bad and the ugly.
As befits a luxury hotel, there is the Italian restaurant “L’Imperiale” for Venetian specialists and grand classical dishes; “L’Orangerie”, a restaurant specialising in superb French and international cuisine; and by the poolside, “Les Trois Palmiers” where you can enjoy an exotic poolside luncheon buffet. For more traditional Moroccan dining try the hotel’s “Le Marocain” restaurant with its typical Moorish setting and where you will be entertained nightly by an Andalusian band and authentic belly-dancers.
There is a charming piano bar where you can relax whilst enjoying that pre or after dinner drink. There is an elegant ballroom, which can also be used for conferences for up to 300 people. Adjoining is an exclusive shopping arcade. Other facilities include a health club, massage and sauna, Turkish baths, beauty parlour, golf, squash and tennis courts, swimming pool and much more.
I firmly believe that if you want a relaxing holiday with a difference, then a visit to Marrakech is a perfect destination.

David Garson

Award-Winning International Travel & Features Writer