The following video clips were part of a french documentary done on the effect of the huge tourism projects on Saidia Beach and some of the dysfunctions the project itself suffers from . The third clip is particularly revealing. What do you think?
walad : Salam Wafiners! I am not chocked, I've seen worst. Remember those Hajr al assasse that high officials, sometimes the king put in several cities and communities? At least these guys in Essaidia built something, although it's already crumbling. In the past, they just build the hajr assassi and steal 100% of the money without doing a thing. I am sure if this video made it to Sidna, he will take appropriate measures to at least investigate what happened to that cracked wall.
What's going on in Essaidia is a worlwide epidemic as a result of a fastly drying up economy and a significant shrinkage of foreign investments. Look at how many unfinished buildings in Dubai, Costa Del Sol in southern Spain, southern FL, India, china...etc. One might ask what can I do as a US citizen far away from this mahzala. Just continue sending your monthly/quaterly remittances but ensure it's put in good hands and uses.
safyorker : Interesting! This what our people are saying about the project sur le site lematin.ma.
Station touristique de Saïdia
Une réalisation Remarque
S.M. le Roi Mohammed VI a souligné que l'inauguration de la station touristique de Saïdia, la première programmée dans le cadre du Plan Vision 2010, et sa mise en exploitation dès cet été, constitue "des réalisations remarquables qui sont autant de motifs de satisfaction pour le Maroc". un message adressé, vendredi, aux participants aux 9es assises nationales sur le tourisme, organisées à Saidia, le Souverain a indiqué que ces réalisations "seront bientôt confortées par l'inauguration de la station Mazagan à El Jadida, puis l'ouverture de deux autres stations : Lixus à Larache et Mogador à Essaouira".
"Ces réalisations induisent des effets bénéfiques pour le développement économique et social et pour le tourisme dans ces régions", a dit S.M. le Roi, expliquant que ces stations vont générer de nombreux emplois directs et indirects.
"Le Maroc a enregistré ces dernières années, en dépit des effets pervers de la crise que connaissent les grands pays émetteurs de touristes, un taux de croissance exceptionnel qui donne la mesure de sa capacité à affronter les défis et à s'adapter aux différentes contraintes", a souligné le Souverain, qui a mis en relief les nombreux atouts du Maroc ayant contribué "à atténuer les retombées fâcheuses de cette crise".
"Nous veillons à garantir un climat propice à la création d'une dynamique permanente au sein du secteur touristique, dont Nous entendons renforcer la vitalité et la compétitivité", a dit le Souverain.
by the way , that guy need to go back to school to boost his french .... people are soo poor in our country and our beloved king is investing money in the air, LOVE IS IN THE AIR !!!
i just feel sad for saidia's citizens, soon it will become a private beach , only for the 10 million tourists we expect :D
ps : i mean for the (10) tourists morocco expect from famila of bouchaib li saken f dowar r7a o 7regu o dar tomobila ;)
ajrida : First, there is no denying that tourism will boost the Moroccan economy, but the economy of the rich not the poor.
Second, I believe that planning is the foundation of every successful work. It seems that this project is failing because it is run by weak leadership.
Third, before putting the foundation for any project, leaders must think proactively and make sure that all steps are checked.
Fourth, a dream can be turned into reality, but with the help of people who believe in the dream and its importance not just its concept. Flying was but a dream back in the days. now, it is a reality and an important one too.
Fifth, authorities should benefit from Moroccan Engineers, Project managers, business leaders who studied in the USA not France. Compare and contrast between developing countries and under-developed countries you will see that developing countries have historical ties with English. Any country who has historical ties with French are doomed.
Wallahou A3lam
safyorker : Two years ago, I needed a building permit to do renovations on my house. Near by the house there is a very little creek, mostly dry, made by rain water runoff. Just for that, the building permit had to go through a special commission headed by a PhD environmentalist and through a town approval. It took 8 months for the permit to be issued. The permit was issued with 10 recommendations to be implemented to protect that little creek from being disturbed during the construction. Ten days after the constructions started, The building inspector came to make sure that the recommendations were properly implemented. As a Moroccan, I initially thought that the whole process was extremely bureaucratic and a big waste of time, and the town people have too much time on their hands, and that they are there only to cause me a lot of stress and headaches. Now looking at this Saidia project with it's colossal failures, I can see why here in America the things are done the way the are.
It is hard for me to believe that such a grandiose project can be started without proper environmental studies and considerations. Just as hard, is to believe that there was no routine inspections to make sure that first things are done first and done properly. The failure of this project is either caused by a complete lack of competence or by somebody being paid to turn a blind eye on the flow of things.
The other disturbing thing is how this Moroccan company that took over this project, underestimates the media by putting a completely inept person, ppfffhhing his way out of questions, to be interviewed by a smart "mechante" French reporter. I wonder if he still holds his job.
Just when you think that we are almost there.
M Sabour
Aminawarda : When you have a failing judicial system and you have a municipal body of thieves and con-artists, nothing will stand in their ugly faces but those Moroccan citizens and world citizens who mean well for the collective good of earth first and people second. Earth must always come first and people second because without the former, the latter would not exist. People will never be able to outsmart God's lovely land/nature. When a bunch of thieves decide to build cheap housing boxes for the rich and famous including themselves and uproot those small bushes which God has created to keep the sand at bay, and the flood gates of non-stopping sand open, then it only means that they failed in their schemes. I am not sure how many times we have to tell these thieves that their cheap shots will always end up in a miserabe failure. They still go on on violating and raping the land and its indigenous inhabitants. Tourism is great for the country, but it should not come at the expense of the wild life which sustains our lives. Dedicated studies should have been done on the environment before buildings were erected. The sad reality is that Morocco is one of those countries which have no research infrastructures. Research in the field of true science is almost non-existent. The Moroccan TV channel as well as other international media outlets have exposed the Moroccan ministry of education to be doing a little or nothing to vamp up research in Morocco. The biggest failure of the Moroccan authorities is that they have never been interested in appointing OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES to make sure that each and every project, big or small, is up to test and task before being launched. The project manager in the second video is a manifestation of this true fiasco. Grandiose dreams of tourism are not the only dreams which will save the country's economy from collapsing. The government and the private sector MUST come together to open other horizons to attract foreign investment by building an education system unrivalled in the world. This system will indubitably create miracles for country and people alike. I am leaving my comments with a sad heart. I wish those who are in charge can be true patriotic and feel my pain and that pain of millions in Morocco and around the world.
a_seqqat : Ladies and gentlemen,
With all due respect, I feel like no comment suggested a resolution, rather a load of blame.
What this project is going through is a fraction of what is going on around the world due to the financial crisis.
Many high rises are halwaf built here in Charlotte, NC but I dont hear many Americans complain about that. May be because they are more proud than the jokers mocking the situation. One should always remember why he/she chose to live in a country different than his/her own, but one thing is for sure: the successful among us are the ones that made it here BUT chose to move back to help our country get ahead. Those are the ones enjoying life in Morocco while you're working 60 hrs/week, worried to get laid off ;).
Be proud or change your identity.
Thanks
karim10021 : The reason nothing works in Morocco is that we have no sens of ethics or morality. People in charge want to rich, yesterday. Look at Hassan II mosque, Airport Md V, autoroutes, place Pietri a Rabat...before they are done, they already need works. La nouvelle bourjouisie and the authority are bunch of thieves and idiots, and unfortunatly, no one can stop them. That why we left the country and hopefully the 30 million left can leave too so 'Sidna" and his chronies can enjoy the country
safyorker : Mr. Seqqat!
You start your post with "all due respect" yet you call us "jokers" and ask us to change our identities. Two things I find had to reconcile. Then you say:"the successful among us are the ones that made it here BUT chose to move back to help our country get ahead. Those are the ones enjoying life in Morocco while you're working 60 hrs/week, worried to get laid off". Since you are still in NC, I take it you are not successful yet. But I have hope you will be one day. All you need is some attitude adjustment, for you exhibit the exact attitude that most of us Moroccans have or had, the attitude that hampers any kind of success, including your own. the attitude of "Mind your own business,I know what I am doing" or "if you don't like what you see, look the other way" or "ila ma 3jbek el hal, shreb el bhar". ETC...
I'd like to remind you that we are all Moroccan and that we all love our Morocco. We criticize and say things we say out of jealousy for Morocco. When I am asked where I am from I say:I am from Morocco. And I say it very proud and loud.
To go back the Saidia project and to draw the parallel with my experience with the renovations in my house. I 'll tell you that beside the environmental inspection. there was a structural inspection to make sure the structure is sound, the insulation inspection to make sure the house in energy efficient, the electrical inspection, the plumbing inspection and the final inspection. All these inspections to make sure that every thing is done according to the local and state laws and in satisfaction of the code put by the building department. This is my way of helping solve the problem, in hope that someone will read and see how things are done in developed countries, and follow steps.
tbstar : Just watched the documentary and the input that people came up with. I am sorry to say this, but you can't just say I want this to happen by 2009 or 2010 without consulting and considering all aspects of ecologic, economic, socioeconomic and psychological of the region. The first thing first, The king shouldn't have never trusted a bunch of crooks to handle the project after the Spanish company went bankrupt. Why? Because we don't have enough qualified people to begin with and secondly, there is a lot of corruption. More than 50% of the population of Morocco are illiterate without a doubt. I know the king has a lot in his plate but he should've assigned a commission to oversee the development of any project. Accountability is key to success, without it people can do whatever they want knowing they can get away with it. Look at the guy when he called his boss, isn't something that tells you he has nothing in his brain? Talking trash about the reporter not knowing they can use the technology they have in place to first here him and second to translate and show it to the world. This is beyond me if you ask me. The wooden stick, you know what that is?
leohorse : Not to comment on the Fadesa scandal in particular, that is just an other episode of so many blunders of our beloved Moroccan government. What other state hands over free prime water-front land to foreign bankrupt developers? You guessed it, no one but the great Kingdom of Morocco.
The key to stop the hemorrhaging of the real estate market in Morocco is to stop building NOW and resume back up let's say in 10 years; the inventory is just massive and there won’t be enough demand to clear all of it. The recent boom has attracted "kuloon man habba wa dabb". It has brought in so many people to the real estate business that otherwise have nothing to do with such business. Look at it as your typical Coffee shop investment. Everybody wanting to retire or open a business opens up a Cafe and splits the customers with his across the street neighbor, a few months go by both split again with the new Coffee shop around the corner, and at the end no one is making money. This is exactly what's going on in regards to real estate. Everyone with a little money and a loan from the bank is becoming a builder/developer. Finally it's all upon us in Morocco, we almost thought that we were immune to the global credit and housing crisis, I remember reading an article in this very blog stating how Morocco will ride out the storm, but the dust hasn't settled yet. The worst is yet to come as those hanging in there are only managing through their unemployment benefit checks that will eventually run out and there is still no job to go back to, those worst affected are the Spanish and British and few other neighboring countries. Expect to see 30-50% close outs and price drops in your future home by the end of next year. This is just simple math, many people got on the real estate wagon based solely on speculation and in hopes to flip and make a couple of bucks, it is true that some were lucky and managed to get out at the right time, but for most the future is looking bleak. But unless we put a halt on this massive invasion by the so called European wanna be retirees in the beautiful sun, we are doomed to keep ruining everything for the average Moroccan that is still in search for decent housing for his family. As for Fadesa, I congratulate the Moroccan government for yet an other wise decision and direct involvement in the making of a major environmental disaster for a great chunk of Saidia coast line.
Stick Shift
Aminawarda : Mr. Seqqat,
I am disappointed at your remarks because you sound very gullible/naive beyond belief. You sound like you belong to that school of thought which says, "If the situation stinks, then we all need to be grateful because God wants it to be as such. Let us go with the flow." Let me tell you that only dead fish go with the flow. We will criticize and keep criticizing until pigs start flying. Now, in regards to those who enjoy Morocco, remember that those are only the elite, and they do it at the expense of millions who live abject poverty. Wake up and be real! And in regards to the 60-hour work week, well all I can tell you is that God created mankind to work and worship Him. Do not be like those who take self-entertainment and make it a career. Your mentality is the very one which has led to the status quo in Morocco.
SIDILOTFI : How on earth is it possible that a multimillion project that is supposedly supervised by the King Mohamed VI himself is represented by an absolutely clueless "Porte Parole"?
I mean it was absolutely heartbreaking to watch in that TV5 what is supposed to be a moroccan titanic project
I am tempted to think that guy was "offered" his job by his rich and powerful Papa or his even more incompetent boss had some sinister plan of throwing to the french press to be devoured mercilessly.
sueRabat : I am sure Saidia will be another AGADIR of the North, the Sin City, since everything is for sale in Morocco & there is enough dope too, cheap drugs and cheap pleasures.
My question is, DO THEY EVER THINK OF BUILDING a MUSEUM, or a Botanical Garden or some kind of entertainment city??
Do Moroccans realize that there are 1000 places with better amenities and much cheaper prices & better service.
Examples: Turkey, Phillipines, Malta, Portugal, offer much better service, cost much less, and have much more to see.
This only shows the ignorance, Arrogance and Corruption of a people.
sueRabat : October 2009,
Salame All,
a_seqqat I am not sure what you are trying to say. You either do not know Morocco or USA. How can anyone even dear compare USA to anything else. Charlotte NC is a needle in a haystack, Second, people in USA not only are complaining but are organizing and working day and night to get out fo their miserable situation. BAssom yebqa fihoum insha allah.
Morocco however is completely different. IT is a kingdom of corruption, Is Saadia an isolated case? no it is not. Tell me anyone, is there any sector in Morocco that is functionning properly? Please tell me if you know. Education, health care, commerce, communication, infrastructure, morality? Tourism? which one? Frankly, any Moroccan in his right mind would never consider going to Morocco, unless they are some corrupt ruthless immoral creep whose agenda is nothing short of devouring every inch of dignity left for people.
So please tell me, which one are you?
By the way, no moroccan is living happy in Morocco, most are poor living in absolute injustice, and the few who are not poor, have found themselves imprisoned behind high walls. What kind of a life is it that one does not even feel safe walking down the street in his own neighborhood or in a downtown.
Just like George Carlin said, the rich get all the money, the middle class does all the work and the poor are there just to scare the shit out of the middle class.
Moreover, there is nothing wrong with working 60 or 70 hours a week. Since when is work an insult Saqqat?
May be this is the reason why so many left Morocco and never want to go back.
Just my opinion & salame
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The following video clips were part of a french documentary done on the effect of the huge tourism projects on Saidia Beach and some of the dysfunctions the project itself suffers from . The third clip is particularly revealing. What do you think? 
