From New York to Beijing, passing through London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Rome, and Moscow, international newspapers were united in noting the great technical level demonstrated by the Moroccan stadiums in the African Cup of Nations finals, especially in the face of the heavy amounts of rain that fell during the matches in Tangier, Rabat, Fez, and Casablanca..
There was a passing sentence for all these media follow-ups:
“What is the Moroccan secret about this?”
Morocco, which for them is included in the category of Africa (South), which usually suffices with “instantaneous” and not “anticipatory” and “planning”…
The sober American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” (which is not always complimentary or merciful toward Morocco politically) stopped at the high technical development recorded in the construction of the new Moroccan stadiums, carefully analyzing the technological secret behind that success which made it wonder, “How did Morocco build a football field that “drinks” water?”, considering that it was Moroccan intelligence that made the best use of Dutch technology (the master of the countries in the world that deal well with water, is the one that originally swims over a sea of water like a low-lying country). It was reinforced by what it called “Moroccan spices” or “Moroccan intelligence,” which is based on the accumulation of experience in dealing with “the economy of water scarcity” due to drought… considering that a new generation of Moroccan engineers and experts is being born from within higher education in Morocco (the experience of the Mohammed VI University in Benjarir, supported by the OCP).
So here we are not just building a football field, but rather facing a development strategy that, according to the American newspaper, constitutes a reference for many in the world.
To the questions raised by this prestigious American newspaper, the Chinese media will provide other truly interesting and cheerful answers (Xinhua News Agency / China Daily / Global Time Magazine), when it confirmed that Chinese technology is present in the Moroccan project and that it is bigger and far beyond just building football fields, but rather a technological adventure to possess water sovereignty in Morocco with a strategic horizon (this is big talk from the Chinese media).
Global Time (which is close to the Chinese Communist Party) wrote that the Moroccan intelligence in striving to possess innovative local water technology commands appreciation, respect and admiration. Rather, it was written literally:
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“Control of water has always been one of the fundamental foundations of civilizations. Today, Morocco provides a clear example of this through its sports infrastructure. The drainage systems adopted by these facilities do not represent just a technical achievement, but rather express a political act linked to sovereignty. By enhancing the capacity of the terrestrial field to withstand climate stresses, these infrastructures create a clearly defined and sustainable national project. In this sense, the Moroccan experience constitutes an important lesson for many developing countries.”
Here we are not just facing football matches (which are wrongly accused of being a distraction by some), we are facing a national project for water development and managing the water scarcity economy. The ball is just an introduction to possessing advanced water security technology.
For this reason, the American newspaper Wall Street Journal wrote that in Morocco we were not faced with just a green rectangular square on which the ball was rolling, but rather, as it literally wrote, we were faced with:
“Moroccan stadiums are “land-parks.”
Unfolding the hybrid grass (natural and synthetic), there is an overlay of filtration layers, calibrated gravel and micro-filter tubes that not only drain, but regulate a micro-climate.
Sensors measure humidity in real time at a depth of 40 cm, then control the suction or return processes.
It’s “Big Data” for earthworms.
As for the United States, which is fascinated by this, it sees it as a victory for data over the elements of nature.”
These are great words from one of the women of American newspapers.
Let us consider what the Chinese news agency “Xinhua” concluded, in selected sentences, in an international report distributed around the world:
“Reusing waste water to irrigate nearby green spaces is innovative and smart, and it is a proposal that resonates strongly in China, which faces major environmental challenges. The Moroccan focus here is less on the ball and more on how to manage the dirt field.”
It is a development strategy based on the logic of the state. Therefore, we really need to re-read it with another eye, critical yes, cumulative for sure, and fairly as well.
(Reference is a lengthy article by Professor Fouad Al-Mazouni)
