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Executive Summary
In 1999 a new king came to the throne in Morocco, Mohamed VI. This event is proving to be a watershed in the economic and political history of Morocco as new policies, initiatives, and goals are being developed and implemented. This article provides background information on the business environment of Morocco regarding history, politics, culture, the economy, regulations and laws, human resource management, and marketing practices. Detailed insights are presented to enable foreign investors and business people to understand inportant aspects of doing business in Morocco. Finally we present our expectatons for the future of Morocco and its trading partners. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
INTRODUCTION
In the summer of 1999, King Has-san II of Morocco passed away and his funeral was attended by many heads of state, including then U.S. President Bill Clinton. This event brought Morocco on to the front pages of many leading newspapers and into the news headlines of television stations worldwide. Part of the reason for this publicity was the critical role played by the late King as a "peacemaker" in Middle Eastern politics between Israel and the Palestinians. A less well known reason is the long-standing friendship between Morocco and the U.S., based on Morocco's reputation as the first nation to recognize the newly independent nation of the United States of America. This fact was commemorated in a double-page advertisement in The Economist (March 1999) signed by 109 senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The late King Hassan II was succeeded by his older son, Mohamed VI who has quietly built a reputation as a dedicated supporter of the poor and the disabled in Morocco. Thus, 1999 will be remembered as a turning-point in Morocco's history as the "tone at the top" evolves from one of government by monarchical fiat to one of growing democratization and recognition of human rights. In November 1998 and 1999, the new king sponsored week-long nationwide campaigns to support the destitute, entitled "Unis pour aider les Demunis" (i.e., working together to help the helpless). This campaign was widely advertised and yellow lapel-pins were purchased and worn by individuals from all social milieux throughout the country. This was a fund-raising campaign in 1999 specifically aimed at helping rural women...