Marrakech’s Tourist Havens Turn Hotspots for Theft: Swedish Visitor Latest Victim in Souk Spree

The events took place on the evening of Tuesday, August 26th. A Swedish tourist was the target of a pickpocketing incident in the Medina of Marrakech. Her recent model mobile phone, estimated to be worth around 15,000 dirhams, was snatched from her in the Semmarine souk. According to local sources, similar thefts have been legion in the recent period in the tourist areas of the ochre city. They mention the theft of a French couple near the Jewish cemetery in the Gueliz district last June, the arrest of a gang specialized in targeting tourists using motorcycles in July, as well as the attempted bag snatching of foreign tourists on Moulay El Hassan Avenue in Gueliz at the beginning of this month.

"Theft has become a major concern for tourists, who now regularly complain to me about the loss of their personal belongings, and the sense of security is no longer the same as before," confirms Rachid, a tourist guide, to the Al3omk website. But the authorities do not seem to be taking the measure of the situation. The delay in the execution of security procedures after the victim’s complaint has indeed been denounced. Such practices could harm Marrakech’s image as a global tourist destination, some tourists believe.

The Semmarine incident has reignited the debate around the security of tourists in the city, particularly in the traditional souks which experience daily crowds. For the stakeholders concerned, it is necessary to strengthen preventive measures and ensure greater security coverage, in order to preserve the image of the kingdom’s top tourist destination.