Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb Visits Morocco

Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, arrived in Morocco on Tuesday for three-day a working visit.

During his stay, Aboutaleb, who is of Moroccan descent, will meet the Anis Birou, the Minister in charge of Moroccans Living abroad and Migration Affairs,  and other senior Moroccan officials.

Birou said that that he will discuss with Aboutaleb important topics that concern the Moroccan community living in Rotterdam. Estimated at 500,000 people, a significant number of the Moroccan diaspora are based in Rotterdam, second largest city in the Netherlands.

Birou said that during the meeting he would focus on discussing the issues facing young Rotterdam-based Moroccans, who are in need of support to build their future.

“Both of us are aware of the need to give priority to this Moroccan community, particularly in terms of school support and cultural activities,” Birou added.

Aboutaleb will also participate in the inauguration of the Moroccan Institute of Morocco in Rabat, ahead visiting Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital.

The Rotterdam mayor is considered one of the prominent politicians in the Netherlands. Aboutaleb was named by Dutchman of the Year in 2014 by the editors of Dutch news magazine Elsevier,, who said that the Moroccan born politician of the left-leaning Labour Party is “the face of the city that was often in the news for exceptionally positive reasons, even internationally.”

In 2016, Aboutaleb was voted Manager of the Year in The Netherlands for a second time in a row through a survey conducted by the local magazine Binnenlands Bestuur.

In 2015, Dutch citizens showed interest in making Aboutaleb their next Prime Minister, according to a survey conducted by Maurice de Hond of 2,500 respondents.

Source :Morocco World News