WHAT SPECIFIC FACTORS HAVE INFLUENCED RELOCATION TRENDS INTO MOROCCO ?
There has been a major shift over the last 2-3 years since lot of Multinational Companies have decided to set up their North & Western African hubs in Casablanca ( The economic capital of Morocco ). We have seen an increase in our activity due to that aspect but the most interesting is that we are handling expatriates from more diverse origins .
A few years ago , French and Spanish were the 2 dominant nationalities coming to Morocco both in terms of companies and employees . Now there are companies and expats coming from everywhere : Asia ( South Korea , Japan ), Turkey , North America ( US and Canada ) and EU ( Germany , Italy , etc .). The trend is good .
Leading sectors for investment are renewable energy ( solar and wind ), automotive industry , the aerospace industry , transport and infrastructure . FMCG companies and service or consulting providers have also set up numbers of regional HQ in Casablanca .
TERRORISM IS A VERY REAL THREAT AND ONE THAT IS LIVED FIRST HAND IN SEVERAL NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRIES – WHAT PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES DO YOU ADVISE CORPORATE TAKE TO PROTECT PERSONNEL ?
This is a serious concern but each country must be analyzed separately .
Speaking about Morocco , the last terrorist attack was in April 2011 in Marrakech . The extremists are carefully watched by the authorities but this doesn ’ t protect against an isolated act . There have been a lot of arrests over the last months .
There are no specific measures in place set up by companies for their expat in Morocco , which is usually considered as a “ stable ” country .
Once again , the country is safe but we are not protected against isolated actions in a public place .
Basic security measures are a given , as in most destinations where expatriates live in a different financial bracket to the majority of locals
HAS THE GLOBAL FALL IN OIL PRICES IMPACTED ON TALENT MOBILITY IN SPECIFIC COUNTRIES WITHIN THE REGION OF NORTH AFRICA ?
Yes , mostly Algeria and Libya have been impacted by the fall in oil prices .
WHAT ISSUES POSE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES FOR RELOCATING EXPATS & HOW DO YOU HELP THEM CONFRONT THESE ?
Language is an issue . If I take the example of Morocco where you can easily live if you speak Arabic or French . If you speak only English , for sure you can work but your daily life will be more difficult . It is necessary to aquire the basic of one of these 2 languages .
There is also some cultural adaptation which is required . Time management , communication habits , relation to authority & hierarchy and place of religion are some of the topics that need to be considered when an expat comes for work .