The first version of the program, presented to King Mohammed VI, covers the six provinces and prefectures affected by the earthquake: Marrakech, El Haouz, Taroudant, Chichaoua, Azilal and Ouarzazate, targeting 4.2 million people.

Four pillars

The workshops launched by Morocco are based on four main pillars, according to a Royal Court statement:

- Sheltering the affected population, rebuilding housing and rehabilitating infrastructure.

- Breaking isolation and rehabilitating dirt areas.

- Accelerating the absorption of social deficits, especially in mountainous areas affected by the earthquake.

- Promotion of economic activities and employment, as well as valorization of local initiatives.

The program also includes, as directed by the King, the creation of a major platform for stocks and primary reserves in each region, in order to respond immediately to natural disasters.

A new perception of the rural world

Dr. Rachid Sari, president of the African Centre for Strategic Studies and Digitalization, said that the plan launched by Morocco to rebuild the areas devastated by the earthquake carries with it unprecedented indicators in dealing with the rural world.

He added in an interview with "Sky News Arabia", that this royal initiative "will have a dimension", as the villages, which were often considered dependent on the national economy, will turn into a productive force that responds to their needs and contributes to the economy, and here is the stud of the new development model, which will encourage economic activities and employment, and the valorization of local initiatives.

Funding Challenge

The economist pointed out that $ 12 billion is a heavy number, which will require concerted efforts and unification of perceptions, in order to achieve the goals set for this large project.

According to a statement by the Royal Office, funding for this program will be secured "from the allocations allocated from the general state budget, the contributions of territorial collectivities and the special solidarity account dedicated to managing the consequences of the earthquake, as well as through international support and cooperation."

Sarri stressed that saving $2.4 billion annually for five years will be an important challenge, especially for the country's general budget, which will look for additional resources to secure funding.

Achieving well-being

The economic analyst stressed that the aim of this program is not only to meet the needs of the villagers and provide them with some simple gains, but the plan seeks to break with the concept of "useless Morocco", which some analysts call areas that do not contribute to the economy, so that the isolation of all regions will be lifted, a project launched by Morocco years ago that aims to strengthen the status of villages and value their initiatives, each according to their capabilities.

He added: "If the new program initially includes six regions, it is clear that it constitutes the first building block of a revolutionary project aimed at achieving the well-being of the inhabitants of rural and remote areas throughout the national territory, i.e. including 32,150 villages."

"The importance of constant listening"

The working session, which took place on Wednesday, is the third of its kind, and comes as an extension of the directives given by the king during the September 9 and 14 meetings, which laid the foundations for the reconstruction program for villages affected by the earthquake.

King Mohammed VI called on the government to implement the vision presented at the level of both the affected provinces and prefectures. He reiterated "the importance of constantly listening to the local population, in order to provide appropriate solutions, giving the necessary importance to the environmental dimension and ensuring respect for the unique heritage, traditions and lifestyles of each region."