MOROCCO. 25 > 30 November 2018 BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION USEFUL INFORMATION

Transcription

1 25 > 30 November 2018 BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION 4 1. Required travel documents 6 2. Health and safety 6 3. Flights and luggage 8 4. Name badge Secretariat of the mission Departure times Contact details 11 2 GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE DEPARTURE Language Currency Electricity Weather Mobile phones Business tips 15 GOOD TO KNOW DURING THE MISSION Arrival Information session in Casablanca Tipping Getting around Restaurants recommended by the Belgian embassy Medical aid 20

3 4 5 GENERAL INFORMATION

4 GENERAL INFORMATION 1. REQUIRED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS To enter Morocco, your Belgian passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the end date of your stay. No visa is required for official and business delegations to enter Morocco. 2. HEALTH AND SAFETY In Morocco, the quality of care varies. Specialists trained in Europe or America practice in private hospitals in the big cities but the costs are high. Outside the major cities, up-to-date medical infrastructure and care are scarce. 6 7 It is not only advisable but also mandatory to travel with an adequate travel health insurance. Anyone travelling to Morocco, regardless of the duration and the conditions of the trip, should be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. Regarding water, it is recommended to drink bottled water. It is forbidden to photograph: buildings (and representatives) of the security forces, the royal palaces, courtyards of religious buildings and military domains. For more details, please consult the travel advice issued by FPS Foreign Affairs in Dutch or French: Dutch: French: par_destination/maroc

5 GENERAL INFORMATION Overview of the official flights of the mission: 3. FLIGHTS AND LUGGAGE On Sunday 25 November from 10:25 onwards, Ms. Perrine Docquier (M: ) of the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency will welcome you at the dedicated Royal Air Maroc check-in counter and luggage drop off area at row 10 of the Brussels National Airport. Luggage with the sticker «Belgian Economic Mission» will be identified by Belgian and Moroccan authorities and the hotel as being part of the mission. It is in your best interest to have it on all your suitcases for the duration of the mission. You can still obtain one or more stickers at check-in from Ms. Perrine Docquier. 8 9 Royal Air Maroc luggage allowance DAY SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2018 THURSDAY TIME SCHEDULE LOCAL TIME 12:25 15:50 flight duration 03h25 09:30 10:15 flight duration 45 mins ROUTE Brussels Casablanca Casablanca Tangier FLIGHT NUMBER AT 839 Chartered flight Business Class Checked luggage: 2 pieces of luggage of 23kg Carry-on luggage: 1 piece of hand luggage of 10kg Economy Class Checked luggage: 1 piece of luggage of 23kg Carry-on luggage: 1 piece of hand luggage of 10kg 29 NOVEMBER :00 18:45 flight duration 45 mins Tangier Casablanca Chartered flight FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER :30 15:55 flight duration 3h25 Casablanca Brussels AT 832

6 GENERAL INFORMATION 4. NAME BADGE 6. DEPARTURE TIMES You are requested to wear your personal name badge of the «Belgian Economic Mission» in a visible way, from departure at the airport in Brussels throughout the mission. Without badge and/or a personal invitation for selected activities, access will be denied by the local and Belgian security as the security regulations will be strictly observed and applied. In case you did not receive your name badge before departure, you can still collect it upon arrival in Casablanca right before the information session on Sunday 25 November at the BFTA-registration desk in front of the room Forum on the ground floor of the Hyatt Regency Casablanca. After the information session, you can collect your badge at the secretariat of the mission. Please note that departure times of buses and other organized transport will be strictly observed. Kindly respect the departure times mentioned in your programme and be present in the lobby of the hotel 10 minutes prior to departure time. Latecomers will not be waited for. 7. CONTACT DETAILS Please refer to the section Contact organizers of the website in the app Belgian Economic Mission or in the final chapter of the brochure of the participants SECRETARIAT OF THE MISSION During the mission, a secretariat of the Belgian Economic Mission will be set up in room Oasis on the ground floor of the Hyatt Regency Casablanca. The secretariat will be operational from Sunday 25 November 2018 at 20:00 until Thursday 29 November 2018 at 19:00. There you can receive the latest information, address all your questions and visit in case you have a problem with your badge.

7 12 13 GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE DEPARTURE

8 GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE DEPARTURE 4. WEATHER In November, the weather in Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier can be rather rainy with average temperatures between 11 C and 20 C. 1. LANGUAGE The two official languages of Morocco are Arabic and Amazigh. French is usually spoken in the business world and is understood by almost all Moroccans in cities. The use of English is limited. It would be an advantage to have one side of your business card translated into French or Arabic. 2. CURRENCY The official currency of Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). On 5 November 2018, the exchange rate was: 5. MOBILE PHONES The country code for Morocco is BUSINESS TIPS Titles are important Morocco is highly hierarchical. Therefore, it is advisable to know the function of your business partner and show respect for his/her position, especially if he/she is an elderly person EUR = MAD 1 MAD = EUR The art of small talk Do not forget that Muslim and Arabic cultures are relationship-driven. Never get straight to the point, first you have to liaise and make acquaintance before discussing trade issues. Dirhams can easily be collected at ATMs with most credit cards used in Belgium. You can collect a maximum of 2000 dirhams per transaction. There is an ATM machine in the lobby of the hotel. 3. ELECTRICITY In Morocco, the power sockets are of type C and E. The standard voltage is 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. These are the same power voltage and same plugs as in Belgium. TYPE C TYPE E Handshake Shaking hands happens a lot in Morocco. However, a firm handshake in Morocco stands for the desire to dominate. So make sure to always give a soft hand if you want to be friendly. Also note that in the Arab world, the left side is considered unclean. Use your left hand as little as possible and certainly not when shaking hands or paying a bill. Avoid politics Avoid addressing sensitive subjects such as politics, religion, the royal family or the issue of the Western Sahara. Morocco is a Muslim country where the King is the Head of State and Leader of the Believers. Business relationships Be on time, but be prepared to wait. Moroccan business people who are used to dealing with international companies follow that work ethic, but most traditional people have a more relaxed view of time and punctuality.

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10 GOOD TO KNOW DURING THE MISSION 1. ARRIVAL Upon arrival, the time in Casablanca is 1 hour behind Brussels. At the airport of Casablanca, each participant collects his/her own luggage from the conveyor belt and proceeds through the usual exit to the buses reserved for the delegation at the entrance of the airport. The trip from the airport to the Hyatt Regency Casablanca takes about an hour. 2. INFORMATION SESSION IN CASABLANCA 4. GETTING AROUND The Belgian Economic Mission officially starts in Casablanca with an information session for the entire Belgian delegation on Sunday 25 November at 18:15 in the Forum room on the ground floor of the Hyatt Regency Casablanca. In Morocco, there are two types of taxis: small taxis (urban taxis called Petit taxis ) and big taxis (extra urban taxis called Grand Taxis ). Small taxis do not travel outside of the city and are painted in a designated colour in each city: red in Casablanca, blue in Rabat and light blue in Tangier. It is recommended that you agree a fixed price in advance or ask the driver to use the meter, as some unscrupulous taxi drivers may try to make a detour. 5. RESTAURANTS RECOMMENDED BY THE BELGIAN EMBASSY After the information session, you will receive your personal programme with your B2B meetings and all invitations for official activities. This session will be followed by a welcome networking drink. 3. TIPPING While tipping is not compulsory in Morocco, leaving gratuity is considered a mark of respect. As a general guideline, a tip of 5 to 10% is suitable for restaurants and cafés. La Bavaroise - French cuisine (10 min on foot from the hotel) 133, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah Casablanca LA SQALA - Typical Moroccan cuisine (5 min by taxi from the hotel) Boulevard des Almohades Casablanca ILOLI - Japanese cuisine (10 min by taxi from the hotel) 33, Rue Najib Mahfoud Casablanca

11 GOOD TO KNOW DURING THE MISSION Notes 6. MEDICAL AID Hospital Clinique Badr 35, Rue de l Imam El Aloussi Casablanca Hôpital Cheikh Khalifa Avenue Mohamed Taieb Naciri Casablanca Doctor Dr. Saâd GHAMMAD 62, Boulevard Moad Ibnou Jabal Casablanca Dr. Mohamed AMINE 50, Rue Tata Casablanca Pharmacy Grande Pharmacie de Paris 60, Boulevard Ben Abdellah, Casablanca Casablanca Pharmacie les Capucines 38, Boulevard Massira El Khadra Casablanca Dentist Dr. Nawal LARAICHI CHRAIBI 6, Bld Félix Houphouët-Boigny Casablanca Dr. Fatima Zahra CHRAÏBI 28, Rue Du Vizir Tazi Casablanca

12 Although everything possible was done to provide precise and updated information, neither the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency nor its partners (Brussels Invest & Export, Flanders Investment and Trade, Wallonia Export-Investment Agency) can be held responsible for any error, omission or false declaration. They cannot either be held responsible for the use or interpretation of information contained in this publication which does not involve giving advice. Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. Belgian Foreign Trade Agency Rue Montoyer Brussels Belgium