Marrakech: Former Moroccan Olympic champion Nawal El Moutawakel, Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), stated that hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup will give a significant boost to major development projects currently underway in Morocco. El Moutawakel made these remarks during the opening of the 33rd General Assembly of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN) in Marrakech.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, El Moutawakel emphasized that Morocco, also the host nation for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2025, is poised to experience remarkable advancements in infrastructure development. Known as the first Arab and African woman to win an Olympic gold medal, El Moutawakel highlighted her athletic career and her extensive experience with major international sporting events, having attended over twenty-two editions of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games since Los Angeles 1984.
“I have seen up close the impact of sports and the complexity of organizing a major event such as the World Cup,” she remarked, stressing Morocco’s readiness to host such a large-scale global sporting event. She also underscored the essential role of sports in societal growth, drawing from her personal experiences. “Thanks to the power of sports, my life changed. It only took 54 seconds and 61 hundredths to go from the shadows to the spotlight,” El Moutawakel expressed.
Concluding her address, El Moutawakel commended FIFA’s initiative to unite Europe and Africa in a joint bid, describing it as an ideal platform to showcase the role of sports in development. The 33rd AMAN General Assembly convenes directors general and senior representatives of member agencies from the Mediterranean region.
The opening session featured remarks by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and 2030 FIFA World Cup Committee, Fouzi Lekjaa. The General Assembly’s agenda, under Morocco’s MAP presidency for the current year, included a panel discussion titled ‘2030 FIFA World Cup: Challenges and Role of Mediterranean Press Agencies,’ featuring key figures from the worlds of football and media.