*Image Credit: International University of Rabat*

Morocco’s Ministry of Culture has started a new program called Video Game Maker to help 40 young Moroccans learn how to create video games.

The program is being done in partnership with the French Embassy and was launched at the International University of Rabat (UIR). It comes from an agreement between Morocco and France made last year when French President Emmanuel Macron visited Morocco.

The training will last nine months, starting now and ending on October 3. The goal is to help young people gain skills in video game development and management. This will help Morocco grow its video game industry and become an important country in this field.

A Great Opportunity for Young Moroccans

Minister of Culture Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid said this program shows how Morocco and France can work together to create great opportunities. He also said that video games are an exciting industry with many job possibilities.

Bensaid believes that this program can help stop young talent from leaving the country because video games allow people to tell stories based on their own culture and imagination. He thinks Morocco can create a strong, high-quality video game industry that can compete with other countries around the world.

Agnes Omrouzian, who works with the French embassy, said she is happy to see the program begin. She said it was the result of many months of hard work between Morocco and France.

She also added that video games are important because they mix technology, creativity, and culture. They can also create jobs for young people.

The head of ISART Digital, Karen Hubelaar, said Morocco has great potential to become a leader in video games, not only in Africa but globally.

A Growing Industry

In May of last year, Morocco and France signed a deal to strengthen their work together in creative industries, with a special focus on video games. Minister Bensaid said this partnership with the French embassy will help develop Morocco’s gaming industry.

According to Statista, a German statistics company, Morocco’s video game market is expected to grow by 9.39% each year between 2024 and 2027. Total sales are projected to reach $227.3 million in 2024 and $297.5 million by 2027.

By 2027, Morocco will have about 8.4 million gamers, with 21.2% of people playing video games.