Awarding in Rabat of the First “Museum of Morocco” Labels

The first “Museum of Morocco” labels were awarded on Wednesday at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat to five museum institutions, in the presence of a number of personalities from the art world.

Granted by the National Foundation of Museums (FNM), these labels aim to reward museum institutions that have met the criteria established by the competent commission, namely the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts in Fez, the Bank Al‑Maghrib Museum in Rabat and in Marrakech, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL), the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, and the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts.

Valid for a renewable period of four years, this certification attests that the beneficiary institutions comply with standards in the conservation, management, and promotion of collections.

This labeling initiative also reflects the Royal will and the ambition to raise Moroccan museums to international standards.

On this occasion, the president of the FNM, Mehdi Qotbi, indicated that this label opens new prospects for aligning Moroccan museums with international standards and promoting Moroccan heritage in accordance with the Wise Royal Vision that establishes museums “as institutions of excellence and spaces carrying meaning, beauty, and the transmission of heritage.”

Thanks to the actions carried out by the Foundation, museum spaces have become true places of life and influence, he specified, noting that the awarding of the “Museum of Morocco” label is the result of collective work carried out with the support of a commission demonstrating commitment, rigor, and professionalism.

For his part, the Wali (Governor) of Bank Al‑Maghrib (BAM), Abdellatif Jouahri, observed that the Bank Al‑Maghrib Museum has been working for about twenty years to ensure that “Moroccan numismatic and artistic heritage is shared with all segments of the population so that, through these collections, they can follow their political, economic, cultural, and artistic history.”

Expressing his great pride in this distinction, he reviewed the actions undertaken by the museum with numerous partners at both the national and international levels with the aim of preserving and enhancing Moroccan heritage.

For the president of the Mohammed Karim Lamrani Foundation, representing the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts in Fez, Saida Lamrani, this distinction constitutes recognition of the Foundation’s efforts in the restoration of the “Nejjarine” district, which reflects Moroccan culture in its diversity.

For his part, the director of the Alliances Foundation, representing the MACAAL Museum, Othman Lazraq, expressed his pride in this distinction, which crowns ten years of existence of a museum that stands out on the artistic scene.

The president of the Jardin Majorelle Foundation in Marrakech, Madison Cox, representing the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts, said he was honored to be among the first museum institutions to receive this label.

According to him, this distinction—likely to inspire other museums to contribute further to the national cultural influence—crowns long-standing work and the continuous efforts deployed by all the stakeholders involved.

In a context where Morocco is increasingly asserting itself on the international stage thanks to its rich heritage, the “Museum of Morocco” label appears as an essential lever for consolidating this momentum and highlighting the excellence of the country’s museum institutions.