Attijariwafa bank strengthens its Dar Al Moukawil network with the 9th center in Casablanca

Casablanca, September 18, 2019 - As part of its policy of promoting entrepreneurship and contributing to economic inclusion, Attijariwafa bank is continuing to strengthen its Dar Al Moukawil network, a concept of agencies with a social and civic vision launched in 2016 and dedicated to free support for young people, project leaders, selfentrepreneurs and very small businesses, clients and non-clients of the bank.

Thus, and in the presence of prominent figures from the Casablanca-Settat region, Mr. Mohamed El Kettani, Chief Executive Officer of the Attijariwafa bank group, accompanied by the management of the bank, inaugurated the 9th Dar Al Moukawil baptized Casablanca Center. The establishment of this new structure confirms once again Attijariwafa bank’s commitment to economic and social development, and its willingness to actively contribute to fostering entrepreneurship and accelerating the growth of VSEs to strengthen their role in boosting the national economy and creating jobs and value, especially in this region which represents the first employment area and the country’s leading economic center with more than 32% contribution to GDP, 52% of exports generated and 44% of FDI attracted.

Dar Al Moukawil is the first ecosystem specially created for entrepreneurs and project leaders to provide them with specific support services to help them undertake business serenely. Thus, through a network of dedicated centers and the web platform daralmoukawil.com, existing small businesses, whether in the creation or at the project stage, whether or not they are clients of the bank, have free access to daily training sessions, business relationship with potential partners and contractors, a mine of useful information and tailor-made advice provided by specialized consultants to make their projects a success.

Today, Dar Al Moukawil centers are open in Aït Melloul, Tangier, El Jadida, Marrakech, Fez, Rabat, Meknes and El Hoceima, and the initiative shows results that are in continuous progression:

• More than 1,850 training sessions organized for the benefit of 20,800 VSEs for free;

• More than 8,400 consulting and support interviews conducted for clients and non-clients to help them manage their day-to-day activities;

• 11 market days and 32 B2B sessions organized organized to give TPEs real business opportunities through these networking services;

• 300 companies created through the «Entrepreneurship Hub» program in a few months;

• 125 partnerships with local players set up to mobilize energy and combine efforts to strengthen the entrepreneurial fabric;

It is in this spirit to federate the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the service of the accompaniment and the orientation of the VSEs and on the occasion of the opening of Dar Al Moukawil Casablanca Center that several conventions were knotted to concretize the will of Attijariwafa bank and its partners, to effectively support the very small enterprises in the region.

The first convention was signed with the Center of Very Small Joint Ventures, born under High Royal Instructions and which is part of the policy of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity aiming at the integration of young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods into the economic circuit through the creation of their own business. The center’s mission is to provide entrepreneurs with needy projects that have proven entrepreneurial skills and proven capabilities with an integrated support system tailored to their needs, from incubation to financial and logistical support.

Two other agreements were signed respectively with the Espace Point de Départ Association and the Management of the Center for Animation and Training of the Associative and Cooperative Fabric of the Casablanca-Settat Region Association, in order to make their members benefit from the accompaniment services of Dar Al Moukawil and to direct the beneficiaries of the latter towards the support schemes and programs of these associations.

In addition, Dar Al Moukawil Casablanca Center launched its first class of participants in the «Entrepreneurship Hub» made up of a dozen project leaders from the VSEs solidarity center. These young people, eager to start on their own, were accompanied until the actual creation of their company and will be monitored until the perpetuation of their activity. The objective of this exclusive program to promote entrepreneurship, already set up in other Dar Al Moukawil centers, is to encourage young people to enter the world of entrepreneurship and to equip them to do so. It accompanies the transformation of «non-entrepreneurs» into «entrepreneurs» through a course that spans several months in four phases:

• Training on all business management tools to give future entrepreneurs the keys to a healthy governance of their business.

• Individualized realization of the business model and business plan with a dedicated Dar Al Moukawil advisor.

• Accompaniment of the candidates in the field in the process of effective creation of their companies.

• Mentoring over several months with frequent progress points to ensure the smooth running of the company and,if necessary, to make the necessary adjustments.

Finally, Attijariwafa bank announced at the opening ceremony of this new center the launch of the 2nd edition of the competition dedicated to the VSEs and project-holders: The «ana maâk» Trophies. This annual national competition aims to highlight the successes of small businesses and prizes their achievements in several categories, including innovation, sustainable development, and business creation. The call for applications will soon be launched on daralmoukawil.com.

Innovative support for Very Small Enterprises will continue at Attijariwafa bank through the progressive deployment of Dar Al Moukawil centers and their exclusive services in all regions of the Kingdom, as a guarantee of proximity and renewed support for small businesses.

Press Contact - Attijariwafa bank group

Mrs Ouafaa GHAOUAT

Media Relations Manager

Phone : 00212 647 47 32 90

Email : O.Ghaouat@attijariwafa.com