Mounir Majidi
Born (1965-01-10) 10 January 1965 (age 59)
Rabat, Morocco
Occupation(s)Businessman, civil servant
Known forRoyal Advisor, personal secretary of Mohammed VI

Mounir Majidi (full name Mohamed Mounir El Majidi, Arabic: منير الماجيدي; born 10 January 1965) is a Moroccan businessman. He has been the personal secretary of King Mohammed VI since 2000 and president of the royal holding, SIGER, since 2002. He is also the president of Maroc Culture, the organization behind the Mawazine festival, of the Fath Union Sport (FUS) Rabat, of the Mohammed VI soccer academy, and of the Cheikh Zaid hospital's foundation.

Biography

Early life

The son of a civil servant, Mounir Majidi was born and grew up in a low-income area of Rabat). He earned high marks in school, and was subsequently chosen to be homeschooled in the company of Mohammed VI's late cousin Naoufel Osman, the son of Ahmed Osman and Princess Lalla Nuzha (a sister of Hassan II).[1]

Mounir Majidi was a classmate of Mohammed VI's late cousin "Nawfal Osman", the son of Ahmed Osman and Princess Lalla Nuzha (a sister of Hassan II).[2] He studied computer science in Strasbourg, France where he worked at Sagem and settled for some years before going to New York City where he completed an MBA at the Pace University.[2] Back to Morocco he worked at various ONA-owned companies before founding an advertising company (FC COM or FC Holding). After the enthronement of Mohammed VI he was nominated at his current position.[2][3]

In 1985, Mounir Majidi moved to Strasbourg, France, to study computer science at the Louis Pasteur University. After graduating and working for a short period at SAGEM, he moved to New York City where he completed an MBA in finance at Pace University.[4][5]

Mounir Majidi is involved in a number of businesses, most of them are related to his management of the King's shares at ONA and FC Com the advertising company.[2] Additionally, he heads the music festival of Rabat, Mawazine – through the "Maroc Culture Association" which he presides –. He was also president of Rabat-based football club FUS Rabat,[2][6] and the president and founder of Mohammed VI football Academy (Académie Mohammed VI de football).[7]

Mounir Majidi returned to Morocco and worked at the Banque Commerciale du Maroc, ONA and at the Caisse de dépôt et de gestion.[5]

In 1997, he founded First Contact Communication (FC COM), a billboard advertising company with its own patented model of billboards.[8]

Personal secretary of King Mohammed VI

In 2000, King Mohammed VI nominated him as his personal secretary. He is in charge of reorganizing the management of the King's palace and the royal stewardship.[5] In 2002, King Mohammed nominated Mounir Majidi president of the SIGER, the royal holding, with the goal of modernizing and consolidating it. By extension, he leads the development strategy of the ONA and the Société Nationale d’Investissement (SNI): those two companies became the armed wings of the national shift of the economy.[9] Majidi's mission is to establish a new economic governance around "national champions", specifically in high-growth sectors such as telecommunications, energy, transportation, banking, health, tourism, real estate and retail.[1] This strategy aims to make Morocco a key economic player in northwestern area of Africa, and by extent across the continent.[9]

Other activities

In 2003, King Mohammed nominated Mounir Majidi president of the Cheikh Zaid foundation to handle the operations and the development of the Cheikh Zaid hospital in Rabat. Mounir Majidi designed and deployed a new economic model for the hospital, which led to the recovery of a financial stability and autonomy. From 2003 to 2012, the turnover jumped from 2,9 million euros to 24,6 million euros.[10] In 2005, the King entrusted Mounir Majidi with the presidency of Maroc Cultures, the association behind the yearly Mawazine festival.[11] Majidi turned the festival into an international event by bringing a new economic model for the event, which led to higher profits, all-the-while providing quality shows and gratuity for 95% of the attendees.[12][13] Among the notorious international artists that were on the festival's stage are Whitney Houston (2008), Stevie Wonder (2009), Sting (2010), Mariah Carey (2012), Justin Timberlake (2014).[14] In December 2007, Mounir Majidi is nominated as president of the Fath Union Sport of Rabat and launched a modernization program destined to become a national model for other sports teams:[15] renovation of the infrastructures, definition of a sports politic, and valorization of the FUS brand.[16] He was reelected president in March 2014.[6] In 2008, King Mohammed announced the creation of the Mohammed VI soccer academy and nominated Mounir Majidi at the head of the project.[17] Under his supervision, the academy opened its doors in September 2009, with brand new infrastructures entirely financed by private partners.[18][19]

Controversy

In June 2012 Majidi was accused of multimillion-dollar corruption by French newspaper Le Monde and by Moroccan independent newspapers.[20][21] No legal action was brought in Morocco however Majidi sued Moroccan journalist Ahmed Benchemsi, the author of the Le Monde article and the founder of TelQuel, for defamation in France.[22] Majidi also claimed blackmail. On 12 June 2015 the High Court of Paris acquitted Benchemsi and no damages were awarded.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Malick Diawara (1 October 2014). "Maroc - Holding royale : El Majidi fixe un nouveau cap". Le Point Afrique (in French).
  2. ^ a b c d e "Portrait-Enquête. Qui est vraiment Mounir Majidi ?". Telquel. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  3. ^ Nicolas Marmié (5 August 2010). "La méthode Mohammed VI - Ombre et lumière sur les éminences grises". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. ^ Mustapha Sehimi. "Mounir majidi sort de sa coquille". Maroc-hebdo.press.ma (in French). Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "Mounir EL Majidi, le sujet économique de Mohammed VI". Maghreb-info.com (in French). 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Le FUS a un business plan en béton". Maroc Hebdo. 21 March 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  7. ^ Mustapha Sehimi (16 May 2008). "Majidi à la tête du sport roi". Maroc Hebdo. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  8. ^ "Irritée, FC COM monte au créneau". L'économiste (in French). 4 July 2001.
  9. ^ a b "Mounir Majidi poursuit le rêve africain du Maroc". La Revue de l'Afrique (in French). 2 October 2014.
  10. ^ "HCZ, une référence sanitaire". Economie-entreprises.com (in French). March 2014.
  11. ^ "MOHAMED MOUNIR EL MAJIDI". festivalmawawzine.ma. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  12. ^ Anderson, Bill K. "Mawazine — The binding of cultures, the channeling of acceptance". Digital Journal. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  13. ^ Nicolas Marmié (5 August 2010). "Ombre et lumières sur les éminences grises". Jeune Afrique (in French).
  14. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (19 February 2014). "Justin Timberlake To Open Morocco's Mawazine Music Fest". Variety. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  15. ^ "Le projet de Mounir Majidi pour le Fus". L'économiste/Maghress.com (in French). 11 March 2008.
  16. ^ Brahim Oubel (20 April 2009). "Les grands défis d'un club sexagénère". Le Matin (in French).
  17. ^ Lahcen, Mawassi. "New Moroccan football academy hopes to train future stars". Magharebia. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Mohammed VI Soccer Academy" (PDF). ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. ^ Mustapha Sehimi (16 May 2008). "Majidi à la tête du sport roi". Maroc Hebdo/Maghress.com.
  20. ^ Benchemsi, Ahmed. "La grande corruption règne en maître au Maroc". Le Monde (in French).
  21. ^ "Des exploitants pas comme les autres". Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  22. ^ "Paris court finds journalist defamatory in Majidi vs Benchemsi". afrika-news.com. Afrika News. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  23. ^ "French Court Recognizes Defamation in Majidi-Benchemsi Case". newsdghana.com. News Ghana. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
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