jibber

OK - as everyone has been banging on about Infrastructure (and lack of it) in Morocco, I thought I'd just throw in a few facts about the "new" resort in Saidia and how much is being spent on the infrastructure. Here goes: Roadworks - 13million euros (25km)Concrete Conduits - 4 million euros Pumping Station 1.3 million euros Water Pipes - 2 million euros Storage Tank - 1.5 million euros Sewage Treatment (30,000 capacity) - 5.2 million euros Harbour - 3million euros Development of Port area - 9 million euros Irrigation - 2.3million euros Telephones (construction & cables) - 2 million euros Electricity (Transformers, Power Lines, Generators, Steet Lamps) - 5.5 million euros Are investors of the "new" resort paying for the infrastructure? Probably. Is it worth the extra cost? Yes, I think so. It should also be noted that new Motorways and roads are being built that lead to Saidia. I travelled along the new road from Melilla-Saidia and was very impressed. If anything, it was actually a little over-engineered (which may have been a case of more jobs for the boys). One of my concerns about investing in Morocco was the infrastructure and particularly lack of water in a golf resort. However after visiting, and gathering the facts about the construction, I no longer have any fears. I still think the investment is not without risks, but on balance, it's a worth an educated punt.

To be honest. Do not know where cars can be hired from. My agent used a hire car from a local company. He also mentioned someting about it ws handy to have a car with a Moroccan number plate. Not sure why.... When you pass thru border control for the first time, you will be given a unique number that is used to track your whereabouts. They will need to enter this onto their system. You will therefore have to fill in a short form that states name, occupation etc....I think the forms are at the border crossing. You will probably have plenty of time to fill in while queueing.

I think you should allow at least 60-90 drive time from Melilla to Saidia. The roads are actually pretty good as they are new. However, the border crossing may take you some time - perhaps 30min wait. My suggestion is to hire a car.

The following is just a cut-n-paste from Travel Website ---------------------------------------------------------- Saidia Excursions Take the road southeast through the Béni-Snassen mountains to Morocco’s easternmost city, Oujda. Don't miss the breathtaking Zegzel gorges and the grottoes that punctuate their sheer cliffs. Most spectacular of these grottoes are the Camel, which takes its name from the camel-shaped stalagmite near the entrance, said to cure infertility, and the Pigeon Grotto, a famous and unique prehistoric site. --------------------------------------------------------- Big Log, Do you agree with the above or is it just unreliable blurb from the travel company? Either way, the list of excusrions is not exactly extensive

I agree terrorist threats to Morocco are a risk, just do not want to overplay. Quoted from 1968 as that is what the Terrorism Knowledge Base quotes - no other reason. Am not trying to play with statistics, but agree that we can all maniupulate for our own needs. I think Egypt and Turkey are very good examples to use. Both countries have had their tourism affected by terrorism over the years. However, we are seeing that as terrorism becomes more commonplace, affects on tourism become less dramatic. When I get chance I will try and drag up some reports that back this up. One last thing. Perception is everything. I can quote figures for ever, but if Joe Bloggs beleives that Morocco is full of mad muslim terrorists, then I agree he will not holiday there. It is sad but true - sometimes reality and perception can be very different.

Yes there have been studies comparing the effects of tourism after terrorist attacks since 9/11. Can't remember where, but a trawl of the internet will back me up.

Jeez, you guys must not be very busy at work....oh, I forgot you are all property millionaires who spend all your time counting your cash and spouting twaddle on message forums. Anyway, as most of you are know-alls, why not visit the Terrorism Knowldge Base -> http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp and soak up a few facts to impress your friends with. For example, the fact that Morocco has had 46 deaths due to terrorist attacks since 1968 compared to 366 for the UK. Or maybe that there are only 4 known terrorist groups in Morocco, wheras there are 20 in the UK. It even has a corruption index, so you can compare how Pakistan rates against Turkey, Morocco etc (I only mention as I know this has been discussed). Yes, I think terrorism in Morocco is a threat, as is the rise in fundementalism in that country, but we have to put things into perspective. Another thing to consider is that whereas terrorist attacks used to make a large impact on tourism, it now only shows as a blip. People move on and forget. This is well documented.

agtisch, Thankyou. Sanity at last. I could not agree more!

BigLog, Can you clarify for me what you are for and what you are against? Are you againist DogBox et. al. because they a) are ramping up prices and buying into something that pushes prices out of the reach of the average Moroccan? OR Are you against Vision 2010 and the aims of increasing tourism in Morocco?

Soup Dragon and Adibrown, I got abit fedup some time ago getting the polarised views on this forum on places like Morocco. Even searching on the internet does not really give a balanced view. I found the Aqoul website to give a more balanced view. They often critique newspaper and magazine articles, which I find helps to give a more even-handed approach. See http://www.aqoul.com/archives/2006/04/morocco_stallin.php as an example.

Agree that it is disappointing that little has been discussed about political stability of Morocco and the threat of terrorism. Those investing in Morocco imply that everywhere in the world is now unsafe, so why worry excessivley about Morocco. However, the problem is one of perception. If Joe Bloggs beleives that Morocco is full of scary people, and that he and his family are more at risk of getting blown up there than elsewhere, then he will not go on holiday there. There are 'some' parallels between Morocco and Egypt / Turkey. These are also muslim countries where terrorists have targetted the tourist industry. However, the difference is that Egypt and Turkey are already well known holiday destinations, so it would take significant terrorist activity over a period of time to knock the long term tourist numbers. However, Morocco needs to build its reputation and cannot really afford any adverse terrorist activity. There is a real threat of terrorism in Morocco. Just a couple of weeks ago, 56 people were arrested for plotting hits against tourist sites. There are a couple of fundamental Islamic groups (one legal, the other not) who are also gaining in popularity. However, there are many plus points about the country and as long as the King and government can continue its rocky road to democracy without leading to destabiliation, then investing in Morocco could prove fruitful. Would be very interested in anyone elses views on Morocco and its future.