Morocco Seeks UNESCO Recognition for Abidat Rma Folk Art Tradition

It was during the 21st edition of the national Abidat Rma festival held from July 1 to 03 in Khouribga, Bejaad and Oued Zem that the possibility of preserving this highly valuable intangible heritage and making it a lever for socio-economic development was discussed.

For the regional director of culture Béni Mellal-Khénifra, Azouz Boujamid, before reaching this registration on the intangible heritage, there is fundamental work to be done. "It is a matter of inventorying all the data relating to this ancestral heritage that makes the reputation of several cities of the Kingdom with a view to its registration on the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO," he stressed.

It is in this sense that the national Abidat Rma festival, which this year celebrated its 21st edition, is part of the efforts made by the Department of Culture to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage. "For more than 20 years, the Ministry of Culture has been organizing this event every year with the support of several partners in order to ensure the continuity of the popular art of Abidat Rma and encourage the younger generations to engage in it," he specified.

This year, a tribute was paid during the opening ceremony to Aboul Kaddour and Mohamed El Rhazouani, two deans of Abidat Rma.