Controversial ’Smart Cemetery’ Project in Morocco Sparks Cost Concerns

A consortium of local authorities managing the Rahma cemetery in Dar Bouazza near Casablanca has announced the signing of an agreement for the implementation of the "first intelligent and secure cemetery" in the region, reports the site al3omk. This project, estimated at more than 37 million dirhams, provides for the installation of surveillance cameras and illuminated signage panels, as well as the acquisition of six electric vehicles to facilitate visitor circulation.

The initiative, which involves actors such as the Nouaceur Development Company and the Nouaceur Prefecture, as well as the Ministry of the Interior, aims to promote innovation and digitization to improve security and user experience. It also seeks to strengthen accessibility and services within cemeteries, considered essential public spaces.

But the project is controversial. "Local observers and civil society associations in the province of Nouaceur consider this project as ’suspicious’, as the allocated amount is considered exorbitant," writes the same source.

The financing of this cemetery, which its promoters describe as intelligent, will be shared between the General Directorate of Local Authorities, which will provide nearly 17 million dirhams, and the "Tacharok" group, which will contribute more than 20 million dirhams. The Nouaceur Development Company, as the delegated manager, will oversee all operations, including reception, camera surveillance and management of electric vehicles, for a period of three years after the provisional acceptance of the work.