Casablanca: Spotlight on the socio-economic impact of the 2030 World Cup
Hibapress
The Hassania School of Public Works in Casablanca hosted a conference on Friday under the theme: “The 2030 World Cup, a major socio-economic and cultural boom for Morocco”.
Marked by the participation of a host of executives and experts from the world of sport, this conference is part of the “EHTP Olympiads”, an event held from April 19 to 21 in Casablanca, and which aims through sport, art and culture to promote students’ creativity and team spirit, while strengthening the links between the university and society at large.
Speaking on this occasion, Hassan Fekkak, sports director of the Moroccan National Olympic Committee (CNOM), indicated that Morocco’s organization of the 2030 World Cup, alongside Mediterranean neighbors Spain and Portugal, offers a number of lessons, the first being that “Morocco has applied several times and has maintained its perseverance, its resilience, and improved to obtain the organization of this global event”.
Calling on everyone to participate positively in this ambitious project which concerns all Moroccans, he highlighted the extraordinary opportunity for our country to host the World Cup, on the economic, cultural and social levels.
In this sense, he explained that this global event will allow very significant financial and economic benefits and with certain added value in the short and medium term, Morocco becoming a global showcase during this event.
For his part, Ayoub Koutaya, research professor at the Institute of Sports Sciences-Hassan 1st University, highlighted the interest in organizing the World Cup, emphasizing the “material and intangible heritage” that will be drawn from Morocco of this event.
In this sense, he noted that in addition to the financial benefits that will be generated during and after the organization of the World Cup, Morocco will also be endowed with assets “in terms of infrastructure and sports equipment that it will be necessary to promote, but also in connection with the increase in the number of football players and the skills which will be developed at all levels.
In this regard, he emphasized the need for Morocco as the organizing country to pay particular attention to improving the experience of supporters who will be ambassadors of the Kingdom following their visit to the occasion of the World Cup.
For his part, Karim Adyel, lawyer specializing in international football law and arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, affirmed, during an intervention by videoconference, that the organization of the 2030 World Cup is a historic event for Morocco and Moroccan football.
Illustrating the impact of such an event on the economy, he explained that during the fourth quarter of 2022, Qatar’s GDP jumped 8% thanks to the World Cup, while South Korea, host of the 2002 edition, experienced strong real GDP growth of 7% compared to the levels recorded in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
Recalling that the preparation strategy for this World Cup is not yet complete, this university professor at the Academy of Leadership Sciences (Switzerland) called for supporting the organization of the 2030 World Cup with a global development project. , aiming to ensure that the entire national territory benefits from the economic benefits of this global event, whether on a social or cultural level.
