Unraveling the Controversy Surrounding the Real Estate Project
In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding a real estate project attributed to Fatima Zahra Mansouri, the Moroccan Minister of National Land Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy, as well as the President of the Marrakesh Municipal Council, recent media reports have surfaced shedding light on the trajectory of this file and the circumstances surrounding its licensing. These reports highlight discrepancies in the narratives being circulated regarding the project, particularly concerning the alleged "dismissal" of the director of the urban agency involved in the case. Contrary to speculation, it has been confirmed that the director resigned voluntarily, and his departure was not connected to the project in question.
Furthermore, numerous professional entities, including the Architects Association and the Real Estate Developers Association, have sent protest letters addressing the management of the project, noting that this individual had never previously held a management position within an urban agency prior to this role. Regarding the timeline for reviewing the file, it has been reported that the legal process took approximately nine months, with the project submitted in April and receiving approval in December after navigating various administrative and legal stages, including a preliminary study committee and obtaining consent from the relevant authorities. This duration is considered standard for such files.
Understanding the Property's Classification and Regulatory Framework
As for the property in question and its classification, it is important to clarify that the designation of the land as agricultural on the ownership certificate does not necessarily imply a definitive ruling on its building potential. The determination of urban use falls under the jurisdiction of urban planning documents and the urban agency, rather than the land registry. Reports from the urban agency have affirmed that the project aligns with the stipulations of the applicable urban plan. It is also noteworthy that the property, spanning approximately 66 hectares, is situated within a larger territorial area of approximately 8,500 hectares covered by the urban plan approved in 2017, representing a limited percentage of the total land available for urban development.
The handling of this file has adhered to the same procedures applied to similar cases, with hundreds of requests approved both before and after this project, without any special privileges being recorded. Prior to this project, around 600 files were approved, and approximately 300 more afterward. In terms of institutional context, the approval of the urban plan in 2017 occurred at a time when Mansouri held no official responsibility, thus negating any influence she may have had in preparing or endorsing the document, according to the same sources.
Additionally, it has been highlighted that the Tassaltant area was not subject to any urban planning until 2017, and numerous projects benefited from exceptional procedures during that period. However, it is noted that during her tenure as president of the municipal council, Mansouri did not resort to these procedures concerning family properties, despite their legal availability, which observers interpret as an indicator of the absence of any conflict of interest. Concerning property data, the land registry dates back to 1977, with the property acquired by the minister's father, a lawyer at the time, through a documented legal process between private parties long before family members entered the political arena, reinforcing its status as a family-owned property based on legal documentation.
As reported by maghrebtimes.ma.
