‘Morocco Days’ Festival to Celebrate Moroccan-American Business and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C will host the Morocco Days Business Edition expo from September 28 to October 1, aiming to celebrate the business, media, and cultural connections b.etween the United States and the kingdom.

Convening under the theme “Create, Educate, Celebrate,” the event will feature exhibitions highlighting the various business sectors and regions of Morocco, as well as the African American community in D.C.

The festival will also include B2B networking opportunities and performances by D.C.-area
artists and Amazigh, Gnawa, Moroccan Jewish, and jazz musicians, as well as the screening of films and other media.

Morocco Days has been organized by the American Moroccan Network and the Moroccan
Center of Peace and Sustainable Development. The event will take place at Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C.

The event “aims to educate the small business community and policy makers about Morocco’s rich history and the African-American business and arts community in D.C.,” explained the organizers in a press release.

“This is a milestone event for us in the Moroccan American Network,” said Mohamed Elhajjam, President of the Moroccan American Network. “The festival is our largest event to date.”

The festival will coincide this month with a number of significant events: the 47th Annual
Meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus, the US Congress going back into session after the summer recess, Africa Heritage Month in the capitol, and the one-year anniversary of Royal Air Maroc’s new direct flight between Washington, D.C. and Casablanca.

The statement added that this event aims to demonstrate Morocco’s economic potential “not only by educating the public about its rich heritage, but also by connecting the dots between the African American community here in our nation’s capital and both Morocco and Africa.”

Asma Graimiche, President of the Moroccan Center for Peace and Sustainable Development, said that the event “will promote understanding and peace as it educates the public on Morocco’s historical position as a “place of religious tolerance and cultural assimilation.”

Elisabeth Myers, General Counsel and Strategic Adviser to the Moroccan American Network, explained the festival was named Morocco Days Business Edition “because this year we are not only celebrating the cultural richness of Morocco, but we are focusing on Morocco’s reintegration into the African Union, and furthering the vision of King Mohammed VI by transforming how people think of Morocco – from images typically portrayed in the media of desert, camels, and couscous to a dynamic, modern business hub and a significant player in socio-economic development on the African continent.”

“This is an event that should not be missed,” Elhajjam assured.

Moroccan American Network

The Moroccan American Network focuses on “strengthening economic ties between Morocco and the U.S., and promoting small business,” said Elhajjam.

He continued that “historically, Morocco-US business relations date back to 1777 when the kingdom was the first country to recognize the independence of the United States of America as a sovereign nation by welcoming American ships into Morocco’s ports.”

The Network president added that “now we are expanding that small business connection even further to other African countries through our team of seasoned professionals.”

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