Marrakech’s Iconic Jemaa el Fna Square Undergoes Major Renovation

To identify the new needs of the merchants of Jemaa El Fna Square, the site Le360 went to meet them. "We are excited to see the new Jemaa el Fna Square," enthuses M’barek Bendich, vice-president of the Jemaa el Fna Square Meals and Beverages Association. The whole world is waiting for the rehabilitation of this mythical square. The merchants of the square suffer from the deterioration of the infrastructure and electrical equipment."

Mohammed Aït Bouchetaa, a merchant on the square, expects a real rehabilitation of Jemaa el Fna Square. "We aspire to a real rehabilitation of the square. All the equipment, sanitation, tiling... need to be updated." Abdelghani Fliliss, another merchant, is concerned about preserving its charm: "We want quality tiles. We would need to preserve the charm of this square."

An important step in the preservation of the cultural heritage of Marrakech, the redevelopment project of the historic Jemaa el Fna Square requires a budget of around 400 million dirhams. The project is in the final study phase, says Mohamed El Idrissi, first vice-president of the Marrakech city council in charge of public works and infrastructure. He assured that this project will bring a radical change to Jemaa El Fna Square. El Idrissi also said that the city council "has prepared, in collaboration with engineers and experts, prototypes to test the coatings that suit the aesthetics of the square and its various activities, as part of a major project personally supervised by the council, chaired by Mayor Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, in order to meet the expectations of professionals and visitors."