I love to spend time at my friends house in the neighborhood of Rabat aptly named L’Ocean, just down the street for the new Bou Regreg waterfront and the Oudaya kasbah. They have a beautifully decorated fifth-floor apartment with a large terrace and amazing ocean view. Its the perfect spot for watching sunset and relaxing with friends. I can’t say enough about how nice it is to have your own place in Morocco…a place on the ocean. But, in L’Ocean, if you turn away from the ocean and look south down the coast you will see a neglected neighborhood that tells the story of suppressed waterfront development in Rabat.

Hassan II had a policy, which he stated as “Turn your backs to the ocean.” I haven’t read this quote, but I’ve had several Moroccan friends repeat it to me. The best explanation I’ve heard for this policy is that Hassan II wanted his capital to be focused on the administrative work associated with ruling the kingdom. He did not want a city with cafes and liberal tourists, like Casablanca. He wanted a city of people dedicated to securing his rule. Perhaps he feared oceanfront development would encourage foreign investment which would in turn give foreigners an interest in the politics of Morocco. During the years of lead, it was better that Moroccans keep their eyes on Hassan II.

Whatever the logic behind the policies of Hassan II, it is clear that development in Morocco wasn’t inhibited by social or cultural concerns, which is what I feared when I wrote about new development plans for Oued Laou. It isn’t that the people of Morocco haven’t wanted foreign investment in their country, but foreign investment and tourism development was held back by the political policies and concerns of the previous king.

Under the rule of King Mohammad VI, the country is beginning to see the fruits of ambitious development projects, cultural celebrations, and development projects such as the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex and the Villa des Arts.

It is wonderful to see Morocco moving closer towards its full economic potential. I hope the new real estate development projects bring prosperity to Moroccans. The next challenges for Morocco are energy capacity, education, and cultural differences in expectations of services. I will write more about those concerns later. Overall, the future looks bright.