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Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, confirmed that the ministry has an extensive network of youth and cultural institutions, including 849 youth houses and socio-sports centers, with many located in both rural and urban areas, in addition to 368 cultural institutions, a significant number of which are situated in rural regions.
During a session of oral questions at the House of Representatives, Bensaid explained that 374 youth institutions have benefited from renovations and restoration work, emphasizing that the primary challenge remains related to designing programs that meet young people’s expectations, particularly regarding employment.
The minister noted that the ministry has launched multiple programs in collaboration with government sectors and international institutions aimed at encouraging youth to create enterprises and engage in both national and international markets, alongside valuing training programs and traditional cultural and sports initiatives, as well as reopening several youth houses that had been closed.
Regarding support for festivals in remote areas, the government official stressed that heritage festivals serve as a real economic and social lever, highlighting that every dirham invested in the Gnawa Festival in Essaouira yields returns of up to 16 dirhams. He added that the organization of festivals occurs either directly or in partnership with local authorities and regional councils.
In terms of promoting Moroccan cinema, Bensaid stated that investments in foreign film productions in Morocco reached 1.5 billion dirhams for the first time last year, up from just one billion dirhams previously. The number of cinema-goers in 2025 is expected to be around two million and 200 thousand, encouraging investors to establish new cinema halls.
Bensaid pointed out that the current challenge pertains to the economic model of some cinema halls, which are being supported by the Moroccan Cinema Center, with efforts to develop this model and expand the presence of national films in international markets.
In the context of appreciating cultural products, Bensaid emphasized the ongoing establishment of centers for cultural heritage awareness, viewing them as scientific, cultural, and educational spaces, in addition to organizing and participating in heritage exhibitions both domestically and internationally, while also placing special importance on modernizing and developing cultural infrastructure.
