Moroccan and French actors from various backgrounds officially reactivated the Bordeaux-Aquitaine-Morocco (BAM) association during a ceremony on Friday in Bordeaux, driven by a renewed vision for cooperation and keeping up with the new bilateral momentum.
First established in 1981 under the leadership of founding president Michel Laurent, a former Bordeaux official, the association's reactivation reflects a desire to reconnect with a four-decade legacy and put its efforts to work strengthening human, cultural, economic, and social ties between the French metropolis, its region, and Morocco.
The association's current president, Mohammed Boukhaled, highlighted the need to mobilize economic, institutional, academic, cultural, and community stakeholders to deliver concrete, impactful projects for both territories. Boukhaled, a former senior executive in major financial institutions and a digital entrepreneur, stressed the importance of turning BAM into a strategic project that actively serves Aquitaine and Moroccan institutions.
The Consul General of Morocco in Bordeaux, Nouzha Sahel, welcomed the association's return, calling it a "living heritage of relations between Bordeaux and Morocco" and noting that its history provides a solid foundation for new initiatives.
She called for using territorial, economic, academic, and cultural cooperation as leverage to deepen ties between Morocco and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, while advocating for the mobilization of Moroccan and Franco-Moroccan talent, entrepreneurs, academics, and researchers as a key bridge between the two nations.
Attending the ceremony as honorary president of BAM, Laurent emphasized the need to move beyond symbolic gestures to generate concrete, long-lasting actions, particularly in cultural and economic sectors.
This initiative comes as relations between Morocco and French regions continue to expand and diversify, driven by Nouvelle-Aquitaine's strong potential across various sectors. According to its organizers, key areas to drive this new momentum include cooperation in urban planning, culture, climate adaptation, educational and academic exchanges, and corporate partnerships.
MAP: 20 September 2026
