The first edition of “Morocco Gaming Expo”, a pioneering trade show of its kind in Morocco and Africa, kicked off in Rabat on Friday, with the aim of promoting the national gaming industry and presenting its various technical, artistic, creative, educational and financial components.
The opening ceremony of this event, organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, took place in the presence of eminent personalities, including the Advisor to His Majesty the King, André Azoulay, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Ghita Mezzour, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Morocco.
Bensaid stressed that this first edition reflects the importance Morocco attaches to gaming and the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) as a key economic sector, its raw material being “culture, imagination, creativity and Moroccan youth”.
“Under the aegis of the High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, which makes culture, heritage and human capital the foundation of our development project, we plan to make gaming one of the jewels in the crown of our Cultural and Creative Industries, a place where Moroccan capabilities converge: the creativity of our youth, the richness of our heritage, and the excellence of our industries,” explained Bensaid.
Underlining the willingness to “move from a logic of passive consumption to production,” the Minister detailed the Ministry's strategy for promoting this sector based on four axes, namely “training and attracting talent”, “supporting local and international companies”, “creating infrastructure and innovation clusters” and “promoting the Moroccan brand”.
The Minister and other personalities present at the opening ceremony had the opportunity to explore the various halls of the fair, which includes a number of renowned international figures from the gaming industry, from 16 different countries, as well as exhibitors from public and private institutions, and financial institutions, all united to promote and develop the video game industry in Morocco.
Morocco Gaming Expo aims to promote the video game industry in Morocco, notably through Rabat Gaming City. This city aspires to become a source of quality employment, a center of cultural and social creativity in the capital, and one of the main hubs of the video game sector in Africa and the MENA region.
Guest of honor at the show, Takaya Imamura, former artistic designer for the giant Nintendo, expressed his conviction that the Morocco Gaming Expo will have considerable international and local repercussions for the development of this industry.
In his view, the development of video games in Africa requires developers from all African countries to give free rein to their imagination, which will allow many good ideas to emerge.
