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City Guide - Marrakech - Business | ||
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Business Business Profile Marrakech, as the city where southern tribesmen and northern Berber villagers meet and bring their goods, is second only to Casablanca as a commercial hub in Morocco. Since the government embarked on a major programme of economic liberalisation in the early and mid-1990s as a response to a severe recession in the 1980s, Marrakech has become more receptive to foreign investment and trade. The main industrial enterprises around Marrakech are flour-mills, milk processing plants, breweries, canning factories and cement production plants. Mining is also set to grow with the discovery of large zinc deposits near Marrakech, and there are numerous oil and gas fields in the nearby Essaouira region. In the late 1990s, foreign investment in Morocco, led mainly by France and the United States, more than doubled thanks to the privatisation of the country's oil industry and the opening up of the banking sector. Shell, Mobil, Total and Elf are some of the leading foreign investors in Morocco and look likely to be joined by companies in other sectors as Morocco has one of the best transport infrastructures in Africa. Marrakech looks set to benefit, although the city is still heavily dependent on tourism, and unemployment there is quite high at between 20 and 25% of the adult population. The city has excellent conference facilities for up to 5000 people at the Hôtel Pullman Mansour Eddahbi, Avenue de France (tel: (04) 446 142, web site: www.congres.mar.com), and at the Palais de Congrès, Avenue de France (tel: (04) 448 990). Business Etiquette Residents of Marrakech have a reputation for warmth, humour and directness, so it is unnecessary to be too formal when doing business in the city. In personal business communication, plain speaking and a willingness to make eye contact are much appreciated. However, over-casualness can be interpreted as rudeness or laziness so businesspeople should maintain a smart appearance, even though suits are not expected in the hot weather. Appointments for meetings should be made in advance and punctuality is respected. Morocco is an Islamic country, but by Middle Eastern standards it is very liberal in outlook so businesswomen should not feel intimidated when working in the country. They are advised, however, to dress conservatively and hemlines should definitely be below the knee. Negotiations often involve a great deal of bargaining and a visitor should expect to deal with a number of people. Although many executives speak English, French is the preferred language of commerce in Morocco. The normal business hours are 0830-1200 and 1430-1830 Monday to Friday. |