Soaring Dreams: French Expats Reinvent Lives in Morocco’s Diverse Landscapes

Sophie, Guillaume, Jilali and Afsa have found a new life in Morocco. The first has opened a ranch and now travels the kingdom on horseback. The second runs four restaurants in Marrakech. The third is a sky adventurer. He flies over the north of the kingdom in a paraglider. Finally, the fourth cultivates roses and extracts their essence.

In 2017, Jilali El Agri, 57, left France for Morocco where he expresses his passion: paragliding. He runs his business in Meknes, in the north of the kingdom. "When I arrived there, I had a lot of requests from people who wanted to fly. 80% of my students are Moroccans," says the paragliding instructor in a report made by France 2. The Franco-Moroccan was already practicing this leisure sport in Aveyron, where he lived. He now plans to develop the discipline in Morocco. "It’s just pure happiness. I admit, I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of it. To live my passion in Morocco, it’s something that was close to my heart. And then, it’s a welcoming land for all athletes. And these landscapes, the mountains... Well, it lacks a bit of water compared to Aveyron, it’s true," he acknowledges.

His activity attracts both locals and passing tourists. Three French women came to discover the region. One of them, Selma, receives her baptism of fire. "I didn’t think the first time would be in Morocco. It’s a surprise," the young woman confides. The Franco-Moroccan has set himself the mission of training a new generation of paragliding instructors in the kingdom.