Fez — Today, Morocco’s “National Foundation of Museums” (Fondation Nationale des Musées, FNM) held an official ceremony at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI) in Rabat to award the first “Museum of Morocco” labels to five institutions recognized for meeting national requirements in conservation, governance, and collection management.
The new label was granted to the “Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts” in Fez, the “Bank Al-Maghrib Museum” in Rabat, and three Marrakech institutions: the “Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL),” the “Yves Saint Laurent Museum,” and the “Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts.”
Speaking during the ceremony, FNM President Mehdi Qotbi framed the moment as both symbolic and structural. “We are proud and happy to celebrate together today the awarding of the first ‘Museum of Morocco’ labels,” he told Morocco World News (MWN), adding that the initiative reflects King Mohammed VI’s vision for museums as spaces of excellence, meaning, beauty, and heritage transmission.
The certification is valid for four years and renewable, and it is anchored in Morocco’s legal framework governing museums, notably Law 56-20 relating to museums and Law 55.20, which amends and supplements Law 01.09 establishing the FNM.
Organizers describe the label as a benchmark designed to elevate Moroccan museums to international standards while strengthening the country’s cultural profile abroad.
The event drew senior institutional figures, including Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib, alongside members of the label commission, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, Customs and Indirect Taxes, Civil Protection, and Rabat Région Patrimoine Historique.
Beyond a single ceremony, the launch of the “Museum of Morocco” label signals a broader national direction. By formalizing standards and rewarding compliance, the framework aims to push museum spaces, public and private alike, toward stronger protection of collections and more ambitious cultural programming.
As Morocco’s museums expand their role in cultural diplomacy and public education, the label represents a way to turn heritage into a measurable commitment, ensuring that the country’s material memory is preserved, managed, and shared at a level that matches its global visibility.
