Saudi heir's death brings conservative to fore

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's ruling monarchy moved into a critical period of realignment Saturday after the death of the heir to the throne opened the way for a new crown prince: most likely a tough-talking interior minister who has led crackdowns on Islamic militants but also has shown favor to ultraconservative traditions such as keeping the ban on women voting.

Saudis watch a TV broadcast on the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. Prince Sultan died abroad Saturday after an illness, state TV said. Sultan, who was the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defense and aviation, has had a string of health issues. He underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A state funeral is planned for Tuesday in Riyadh for crown prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who died in New York at the age of 80 after an unspecified illness, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

Now, Saudi rulers are expected to move quickly to name the new king-in-waiting — which royal protocol suggests will be Sultan's half brother, Prince Nayef.

Moving Nayef to the top of the succession ladder would not likely pose any risks to Saudi Arabia's pro-Western policies and, in particular, its close alliance with Washington. But Nayef cuts a much more mercurial figure than Saudi's current leader, the ailing King Abdullah, who has nudged ahead with reforms such as promising women voting rights in 2015 despite rumblings from the country's powerful religious establishment.

Nayef, 78, has earned U.S. praise for unleashing the internal security forces against suspected Islamic extremist cells in Saudi Arabia, which was home to 15 of 19 of the Sept. 11 hijackers. Yet he brought blistering rebukes in the West for a 2002 interview that quoted him as saying that "Zionists" — a reference to Jews — benefited from the 9-11 attacks because it turned world opinion against Islam and Arabs.

Nayef also has expressed displeasure at some of Abdullah's moves for more openness, saying in 2009 that he saw no need for women to vote or participate in politics. It's a view shared by many Saudi clerics, who follow a strict brand of Islam known as Wahhabism. Their support gives the Saudi monarchy the legitimacy to rule over a nation holding Islam's holiest sites.

"Nayef is more religious, and is closer to the Saudi groups who are very critical of the king's decisions regarding women and other steps he's taken to balance out the rigid religious practices in society," said Ali Fakhro, a political analyst and commentator in Bahrain.

But it remains doubtful that Nayef — if ever made king — would outright annul Abdullah's reforms, which include the establishment of a coed university where both genders can mix. More likely, Nayef would put any further changes on hold, said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political affairs professor at Emirates University.

"It's not good news for Saudis or for the region," he said. "(Nayef) is the security guy. He is the mukhabarat (secret police) guy. He is the internal affairs guy."

Although it's not certain that Nayef will be selected to succeed Sultan, the signs point clearly in that direction.

After Sultan fell ill two years ago, Nayef was named second deputy prime minister, traditionally the post right behind the crown prince. For the first time, however, the mechanism of picking the next No. 2 in the royal succession is not entirely clear.

Traditionally, the king names his successor. But this time it is possible that Abdullah will put the decision to the Allegiance Council, a 33-member body composed of his brothers and cousins. Abdullah created the council as part of his reforms and gave it a mandate to choose the heir.

Abdullah formed the council in order to modernize the process and give a wider voice. When it was created, it was decided that the council would choose the heir for the first time when Sultan rose to the throne, and his crown prince would need to be named. But it was not specified whether it would be used if Sultan died before the king.

The choice of whether to convene the council now will likely be made by the 87-year-old Abdullah, who is currently recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year.

"It is with deep sorrow and grief that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah mourns the loss of his brother and Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan," the palace said in a statement announcing Sultan's death.

The announcement did not elaborate on his illness. According to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable from January 2010, Sultan had been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2009.

Sultan was the kingdom's defense minister in 1990 when U.S. forces deployed in Saudi Arabia to defend it against Iraqi forces that had overrun Kuwait. His son, Prince Khaled, served as the top Arab commander in the 1991 operation Desert Storm, in which U.S.-led troops drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait.

As defense minister, Sultan closed multibillion-dollar deals to establish the modern Saudi armed forces, including land, air, naval and air defense forces. On more than one occasion, the deals implicated several of his sons in corruption scandals — charges they have denied.

Sultan is survived by 32 children from multiple wives. They include Bandar, the former ambassador to the United States who now heads the National Security Council, and Khaled, Sultan's assistant in the Defense Ministry.

"The crown prince was a strong leader and a good friend to the United States over many years as well as a tireless champion for his country. He will be missed," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a visit to Tajikistan. "Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is strong and enduring and we will look forward to working with the leadership for many years to come."

Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, said Sultan served his country with "great dignity and dedication."

Saudi Arabia has been ruled since 1953 by the sons of its founder, King Abdul-Aziz, who had more than 40 sons by multiple wives. Sultan was part of the aging second generation of Abdul-Aziz's sons, including Nayef, the full brother of the late King Fahd, who died in 2005.

While Nayef has taken only minor roles in foreign affairs, he has been outspoken in one of Saudi Arabia's chief regional concerns: ambitions by rival Iran to expand its influence in the Middle East.

Earlier this year, he blamed the Shiite power for encouraging protests among Saudi Arabia's minority Shiites.

Nayef also was involved in the kingdom's decision in March to send military forces into neighboring Bahrain to help crush pro-reform demonstrations led by tiny island nation's majority Shiites against its Sunni rulers — which Gulf Arab leaders accuse of having ties to Iran.

With Yemen, he has called for Saudi Arabia to take a harder line with embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was treated in Saudi Arabia after surviving a blast in June and later returned to Yemen.

In August, Nayef accepted undisclosed libel damages from Britain's newspaper The Independent over an article which accused him of ordering police chiefs to shoot and kill unarmed demonstrators in Saudi Arabia.

Nayef has chaired Cabinet meetings in place of Abdullah and Sultan. He also draws considerable prestige from being among the sons of Abdul-Aziz's most prominent wife, known as the Sudeiri Seven. Abdullah's predecessor Fahd also was among the seven.

"Nayef's closer links to the Wahhabi establishment may see a reversal of some recent reforms, especially regarding women," said Christopher Davidson, a lecturer at Britain's Durham University and an expert on Gulf affairs. "But more likely business as usual, I think, with no further major reforms."

Source:

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Saudi Crown Prince Sultan dies, focus on Prince Nayef

(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan has died, the royal court said on Saturday, and Interior Minister and reputed conservative Prince Nayef was expected to become the new heir to the throne in the world's biggest oil exporter.

Sultan, whose age was officially given as 80 and who died in New York of colon cancer early on Saturday Saudi time, had been a central figure in Saudi decision-making since becoming defense minister in 1962 and was made crown prince in 2005.

Saudi analysts predicted an orderly transition at a time when much of the Middle East is in turmoil after mass uprisings against autocratic leaders by citizens demanding democracy.

Saudi King Abdullah reacted to the "Arab Spring" by ordering spending of $130 billion on social benefits, housing and jobs, but he and his new crown prince face challenges from al Qaeda militants, a restless Shi'ite minority and civil conflict in neighboring Yemen.

Saudi Arabia is also locked in a confrontation with Shi'ite Muslim power Iran, accused by the United States of plotting to kill the kingdom's ambassador to Washington.

Earlier this month, the Saudi Interior Ministry accused an unnamed foreign power, widely assumed to mean Iran, of instigating protests by the Saudi Shi'ite minority in which 14 people, including 11 security officers, were injured.

Sultan's health had declined in recent years and he spent long periods outside the kingdom for medical treatment. A 2009 U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks described him as "for all intents and purposes incapacitated."

King Abdullah is now likely to summon the untested Allegiance Council of the ruling al-Saud family, set up in 2006 to make the succession process more transparent, to approve his preferred heir. In the past, the succession was decided in secret by the king and a coterie of powerful princes.

Most analysts believe the new crown prince will be Nayef, who was appointed second deputy prime minister in 2009, a position usually given to the man who is third-in-line to rule.

"The problem is (the Allegiance Council) is a secret organization that consists of members of the royal family and Saudi society has no say," said Madawi al-Rashid, author of A History of Saudi Arabia and critic of the ruling family. "Some sections of Saudi Arabia are worried. Nayef is known for security solutions. His rhetoric always invokes the sword."

Nayef has been interior minister since 1975 and has managed the kingdom's day-to-day affairs during the absences of both the king and crown prince.

He has gained a reputation as being more conservative than either King Abdullah or Sultan, with close ties to the country's powerful Wahhabi clergy. But as king he might follow a more moderate line in keeping with the al-Saud tradition of governing by consensus, analysts say.

"The succession will be orderly," said Asaad al-Shamlan, a political science professor in Riyadh. "The point of reference will be the ruling of the Allegiance Council. It seems to me most likely Nayef will be chosen. If he becomes crown prince, I don't expect much immediate change."

"Things are in order, thanks to the wise leadership represented in King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz," Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, a brother of both Abdullah and Sultan and member of the Allegiance Council, told reporters.

ALLEGIANCE COUNCIL

When the Allegiance Council convenes, the 34 branches of the ruling family born to the kingdom's founder King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud will each have a vote to confirm the king's nominee for crown prince or appoint their own candidate.

Saudi television broke its normal schedule early on Saturday to broadcast Koranic verses and footage of pilgrims circling the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, before announcing the crown prince's death.

"With deep sorrow and sadness the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz mourns the death of his brother and his Crown Prince Sultan... who died at dawn this morning Saturday outside the kingdom following an illness," said a Saudi royal court statement carried on official media.

The Saudi stock market was unaffected by the news, and the TASI all-share index closed nearly half a percent up. Shops, schools and universities were open as normal in Riyadh.

Funeral services for Sultan, who died on Friday New York time, will be held on Tuesday in Riyadh. An official at the Saudi embassy in Washington confirmed that Prince Sultan had died in New York but declined to give further details.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her condolences over the death, saying U.S.-Saudi ties are strong.

"The Crown Prince was a strong leader and a good friend to the United States over many years, as well as a tireless champion for his country," Clinton said during a visit to Tajikistan, in the first official U.S. comment on his death.

"Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is strong and enduring and we will look forward to working with the (Saudi) leadership for many years to come," she told a news conference.

Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey and Oman sent messages of condolence.

King Abdullah, who is in his late 80s, underwent back surgery earlier this month but has been pictured since then in apparently good health.

"The stability of Saudi Arabia is more important than ever," said Turad al-Amri, a political analyst in Saudi Arabia. "All the countries around it are crumbling. The balance of power is changing in the Middle East."

Abdullah has gained a reputation as a cautious reformer since becoming de facto regent of the conservative Islamic country in 1995 and as king since 2005.

He was absent for three months in late 2010 and early 2011 following treatment for a herniated disc that caused blood to accumulate around his spine.

Unlike European monarchies, the line of succession does not move from father to eldest son, but down a line of brothers born to the kingdom's founder Ibn Saud, who died in 1953.

Sultan's death also means King Abdullah will have to select new defense and aviation ministers, key posts in a country that spends billions of dollars on weapons procurement.

Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the son of the late crown prince, has been deputy defense minister since 2001 and is one candidate to replace his father as minister.

"There traditionally has been a way of balancing the power relationships within the family that are important," said Robert Jordan, U.S. ambassador to Riyadh from 2001-03. "So I don't think we should automatically assume that Khaled bin Sultan will become the defense minister, although he has much experience and his father was in place for many years."

Source: Reuters

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Shakira's Morocco Tour Photo's

Shak is currently in Morocco doing a photo shoot for her new fragrance. Here are some pictures...


Shakira

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Morocco

Morocco Population: 31,285,174

Background

In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which first met in 1997. The country has made improvements in human rights under King MOHAMMED VI and its press is moderately free, but the government occasionally takes action against journalists who report on three broad subjects considered to be taboo: the monarchy, Islam, and the status of Western Sahara. Despite the continuing reforms, ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch.

Map data ©2010 AND, Geocentre Consulting, MapLink, Tele Atlas - Terms of Use

Geography
Strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
Location:	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
Geographic coordinates:	32 00 N, 5 00 W
Area:	total: 446,550 sq km land: 446,300 sq km water: 250 sq km Size comparison: slightly larger than California
Land Boundaries:	total: 2,017.9 km border countries: Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6 km
Coastline:	1,835 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:	Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain:	northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m
Natural resources:	phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use:	arable land: 19% permanent crops: 2% other: 79% (2005)
Irrigated land:	14,450 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:	northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts
Current Environment Issues:	land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water supplies contaminated by raw sewage; siltation of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters
International Environment Agreements:	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
People
Population:	31,285,174 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Age structure:	0-14 years: 30% (male 5,333,396/female 5,131,886) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 11,261,139/female 11,305,792) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 781,089/female 1,046,062) (2009 est.)
Median age:	total: 25 years male: 24.5 years female: 25.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:	1.099% (2009 est.)
Birth rate:	19.72 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate:	4.74 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
Net migration rate:	-3.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Sex ratio:	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	total: 29.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 34.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 75.47 years male: 72.42 years female: 78.68 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:	2.27 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:	0.1% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:	21,000 (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:	fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Moroccan(s) adjective: Moroccan
Ethnic groups:	Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions:	Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages:	Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52.3% male: 65.7% female: 39.6% (2004 census)
Government
Country name:	conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco conventional short form: Morocco local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah local short form: Al Maghrib
Government type:	constitutional monarchy
Capital:	name: Rabat geographic coordinates: 34 01 N, 6 49 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:	15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, another region which falls entirely within Western Sahara
Independence:	2 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday:	Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)
Constitution:	10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended September 1996 note: the amendment of September 1996 was to create a bicameral legislature
Legal system:	based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law systems; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003)
Executive branch:	chief of state: King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Abbas EL FASSI (since 19 September 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections
Legislative branch:	bicameral Parliament consists of a Chamber of Counselors (or upper house) (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for nine-year terms; one-third of the members are elected every three years) and Chamber of Representatives (or lower house) (325 seats; 295 members elected by multi-seat constituencies and 30 from national lists of women; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 8 September 2006 (next to be held in 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 7 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PI 17, MP 14, RNI 13, USFP 11, UC 6, PND 4, PPS 4, Al Ahd 4, other 17; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PI 52, PJD 46, MP 41, RNI 39, USFP 38, UC 27, PPS 17, FFD 9, MDS 9, Al Ahd 8, other 39
Judicial branch:	Supreme Court (judges are appointed on the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:	Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI]; Al Ahd (The Covenant) Party [Najib EL OUAZZANI]; Alliance des Libert'es (Alliance of Liberty) or ADL [Ali BELHAJ]; An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Abdellah EL HARIF]; Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Mohamed Cheikh BIADILLAH, Secretary General]; Choura et Istiqlal (Consultation and Independence) Party or PCI [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Citizens' Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI]; Citizenship and Development Initiative or ICD [Mohamed BENHAMOU]; Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohammed ABIED]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Touhami EL KHIARI]; Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN]; Democratic Society Party or PSD [Zhor CHEKKAFI]; Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Abbas EL FASSI]; Justice and Development Party or PJD [Abdelilah BENKIRANE]; Labor Party or PT [Abdelkrim BENATIK]; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE]; National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI]; National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA]; National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]; National Rally of Independents or RNI [Mustapha EL MANSOURI]; National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP [Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI]; Reform and Development Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Renaissance and Virtue Party or PRV [Mohamed KHALIDI]; Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]; Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH]; Socialist Democratic Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Abdelwahed RADI]; Unified Socialist Left Party or PGSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]
Political pressure groups and leaders:	Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]; General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]
International organization participation:	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel L. KAPLAN embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 09718 telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65 FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61 consulate(s) general: Casablanca
Economy
Economic policies pursued since 2003 by King Mohammed VI have brought macroeconomic stability to the country, improved financial sector performance, and made steady progress in developing the services and industrial sectors. The National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), a $2 billion initiative launched by the King in 2005, has improved social welfare through a successful rural electrification program, an overhaul of the tourism and agriculture sectors, and the gradual replacement of urban slums with decent housing. Despite the INDH's success, Morocco continues to grapple with a high illiteracy rate, a low education enrollment rate, and a high urban youth unemployment rate of around 30%. Moroccan exports have dropped sharply since mid-2008 as a result of the decline in global phosphates prices--the bulk of Moroccan exports by value--and the global economic slowdown. The economic slowdown in Europe--Morocco's main export market--also prompted a decline in the flow of foreign tourists and remittances, two primary sources of foreign currency. A record agricultural harvest, strong government spending, and domestic consumption, however, combined to partly offset losses from weak exports and helped GDP grow at a weak but positive 2.6% in 2009. Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for selected transactions. In 2006, Morocco entered a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US, and in 2008 entered into an advanced status in its 2000 Association Agreement with the EU. Long-term challenges include improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth, closing the income gap between the rich and the poor, confronting corruption, and expanding and diversifying exports beyond phosphates and low-value added products.
GDP (purchasing power parity):	GDP (purchasing power parity): $145.2 billion (2009 est.) $139.6 billion (2008 est.) $131.5 billion (2007 est.) note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):	GDP (official exchange rate): $90.78 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:	4% (2009 est.) 6.2% (2008 est.) 3.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):	GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,600 (2009 est.) $4,500 (2008 est.) $4,300 (2007 est.) note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:	agriculture: 18.8% industry: 32.6% services: 48.6% (2009 est.)
Labor force:	11.46 million (2009 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:	agriculture: 44.6% industry: 19.8% services: 35.5% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:	9.1% (2009 est.) 9.5% (2008 est.)
Population below poverty line:	15% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:	lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 33.2% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:	40 (2005) 39.5 (1999 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):	Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2009 est.) 3.8% (2008 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):	Investment (gross fixed): 32.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $22.9 billion expenditures: $23.86 billion (2009 est.)
Public debt:	54.1% of GDP (2009 est.) 55.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
Agriculture - products:	barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock
Industries:	phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:	1.9% (2009 est.)
Electricity - production:	21.56 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:	20.78 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:	0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:	3.455 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:	4,310 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:	187,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - exports:	17,420 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports:	195,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:	750,000 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production:	60 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:	560 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:	0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - imports:	500 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:	1.501 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Current account balance:	$-3.795 billion (2009 est.) $-5.836 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:	$15.61 billion (2009 est.) $20.17 billion (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:	clothing and textiles, electric components, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, citrus fruits, vegetables, fish
Exports - partners:	Spain 19.2%, France 17.6%, Brazil 7.1%, US 4.5%, Belgium 4.5%, Italy 4.3% (2008)
Imports:	$31.83 billion (2009 est.) $39.35 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:	crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics
Imports - partners:	France 16.1%, Spain 13.5%, Italy 6.5%, China 6%, Germany 5.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Moldova 5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:	$21.54 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $22.72 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:	$20.06 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $20.12 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:	$42.68 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $42.68 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:	$641 million (31 December 2009 est.) $966 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:	$65.75 billion (31 December 2008) $75.49 billion (31 December 2007) $49.36 billion (31 December 2006)
Exchange rates:	Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar - 8.1081 (2009), 7.526 (2008), 8.3563 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005)
Communications
Telephones in use:	2.991 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Cellular Phones in use:	22.816 million (2008)
Telephone system:	general assessment: modern system with all important capabilities; however, density is low with only 9 fixed lines available for each 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 65 per 100 persons in 2008 domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay international: country code - 212; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:	AM 27, FM 25, shortwave 6 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:	35 (plus 66 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:	.ma
Internet hosts:	276,521 (2009)
Internet users:	10.3 million (2008)
Transportation
Airports:	58 (2009) country comparison to the world: 81
Airports (paved runways):	total: 32 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2009)
Airports (unpaved runways):	total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 8 (2009)
Heliports:	1 (2009)
Pipelines:	gas 830 km; oil 439 km (2008)
Railways:	total: 1,907 km standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:	total: 57,625 km paved: 35,664 km (includes 639 km of expressways) unpaved: 21,961 km (2006)
Merchant marine:	total: 35 by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 8, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 4 foreign-owned: 16 (France 14, Germany 2) registered in other countries: 4 (Gibraltar 4) (2008)
Ports and terminals:	Agadir, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Safi
Military
Military branches:	Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Navy (includes Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawyiya al Malakiya Marakishiya; Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:	18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:	males age 16-49: 9,152,580 females age 16-49: 9,080,830 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:	males age 16-49: 7,779,589 females age 16-49: 7,881,024 (2009 est.)

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