Rabat – A new Moroccan crafts fair in Seville is putting the spotlight on centuries-old mastery and the growing cultural partnership between Morocco and Spain’s Andalusia region. Organized as part of the cultural week “We Love Morocco,” the event opened at the Hassan II Pavilion with a ceremony attended by senior Moroccan and Spanish officials.
The fair was inaugurated by André Azoulay, Adviser to King Mohammed VI and co-president of the Foundation Three Cultures of the Mediterranean, alongside Lahcen Essaadi, Secretary of State in charge of Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy. Also present were Patricia del Pozo, Andalusia’s regional minister for Culture and Sports, Morocco’s ambassador to Spain Karima Benyaich, and Spain’s ambassador to Morocco Enrique Oujeda.
According to organizers, the event implements a recently signed memorandum of understanding between the Secretariat of State and the Foundation Three Cultures, which manages the pavilion. The agreement aims to strengthen institutional cooperation in support of the crafts sector and to highlight the shared cultural heritage that links Morocco and Andalusia.
Celebrating a living, shared heritage
For Ambassador Karima Benyaich, the fair celebrates an artisanal tradition shaped by multiple historical influences. Moroccan crafts, she noted, draw on deep Amazigh, Arab, Hebrew, Andalusian, and African roots, which makes the country’s handmade objects “unique and constantly evolving,” nourished by renewed creativity and increasingly recognized abroad.
Organized under the aegis of the Rabat–Salé–Kénitra Regional Chamber of Handicrafts, in coordination with the Secretariat of State, the fair showcases a wide spectrum of Moroccan métiers d’art.
Visitors can discover leatherwork, woodworking, ceramics, textiles, and zellige, alongside technical demonstrations and workshops where master artisans share their skills. Fashion segments featuring traditional and contemporary outfits complete the program.
Abderrahim Zemzami, president of the regional Chamber of Handicrafts, described the fair as a platform to promote the “exceptional richness” of Moroccan crafts and their role in local development. For Andalusian partners, the event also illustrates how the Hassan II Pavilion can serve as a permanent bridge between both shores of the Mediterranean, especially following a separate accord to restore and preserve the building as a symbol of tolerance and dialogue.
A cultural diplomacy tool
Running from November 18 to 21, the fair forms part of a broader effort to position artisanal heritage at the heart of Morocco–Andalusia relations. Through joint exhibitions, institutional cooperation, and training exchanges, the new framework seeks to support artisans, encourage innovation, and open new markets for Moroccan products in Europe.
For visitors to Seville, “We Love Morocco” offers more than a shopping experience. It functions as a living exhibition of Moroccan culture, where each object — from hand-painted ceramics to finely embroidered textiles — tells a story of shared history and cross-Mediterranean influence.
For Moroccan stakeholders, the fair is also a reminder that craftsmanship remains a powerful tool of cultural diplomacy, capable of strengthening ties while sustaining communities at home.
