Morocco Declares January 14 Official Amazigh New Year Holiday

This decision follows a royal communiqué published on May 3 last, in which King Mohammed VI declared the Amazigh New Year a paid holiday, compared to other national celebrations such as the 1st Muharram or the Gregorian New Year. This measure strengthens the recognition of Amazigh as an essential element of Moroccan identity and an official language of the country, alongside the Arabic language.

At present, the Amazigh language is taught in 1,660 primary schools, benefiting 330,000 students. As Chakib Benmoussa explained last July, the Ministry of National Education aims to extend this teaching to 12,000 establishments by 2030, reaching nearly 4 million students.