– The international banking group Standard Chartered has marked a new milestone in its regional expansion with the official inauguration of its representative office in Morocco.
The event was attended by senior government officials, regulators, diplomats, clients, strategic partners and influential leaders from the financial, industrial, and investment sectors, Standard Chartered said in a press release.
Following regulatory approvals from Bank Al-Maghrib and the granting of Casablanca Finance City (CFC) status by the CFC Authority, the new office strengthens Standard Chartered’s footprint in the Middle East and Africa. It also follows recent openings in Egypt in 2024 and Saudi Arabia in 2021, the same source noted, adding that the office will be led by Cynthia El Asmar, appointed Managing Director and Country Head for Morocco.
On this occasion, Rola Abu Manneh, CEO for the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to the Kingdom.
“With its global network, sector expertise, and financing capabilities, Standard Chartered is uniquely positioned to support Morocco’s growth ambitions,” Abu Manneh said, expressing gratitude to Bank Al-Maghrib and the Casablanca Finance City Authority for their support throughout the process.
“This inauguration confirms our determination to broaden client access to high-growth markets and to contribute to regional economic development,” she emphasized.
Standard Chartered views Morocco as a fast-rising strategic hub for global trade and investment. Located at the crossroads of Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, the Kingdom is attracting a growing share of long-term capital, industrial investments, and opportunities linked to global value chains.
For his part, the CEO of the Casablanca Finance City Authority, Saïd Ibrahimi, stated that Standard Chartered’s arrival within CFC strengthens an already robust financial ecosystem and represents excellent news for the development of the sector in Africa.
“The establishment of Standard Chartered in Casablanca once again confirms Morocco’s strategic positioning as a key platform for accessing markets across the continent,” he said.
Reflecting on the significance of this opening, El Asmar stressed that Morocco’s geographic position and ongoing reforms continue to enhance its attractiveness for international investors.
“After a decade of strong cooperation with major Moroccan financial institutions, the opening of our office now allows us to work more closely with clients in sectors where Morocco is rapidly strengthening its presence: automotive, renewable energy, aerospace and agribusiness,” she added.
The new representative office will play a pivotal role in strengthening partnerships, supporting local, regional, and international clients and improving cross-border connectivity and structured financing.
It will also facilitate access to Standard Chartered’s global capabilities across its 54 markets. This opening represents a new step in the Group’s commitment to Morocco and confirms its ambition to support sustainable economic development in the region.
The event was attended by the UK Ambassador to Morocco, Alex Pinfield OBE. Standard Chartered was represented by Roberto Hoornweg, CEO, Corporate & Investment Banking; Mohamed Salama, Regional Head; Abbas Hussain, Global Head of Infrastructure and Development Finance; along with members of the bank’s regional and global teams.
Rephrase in a different way as if you were a native American speaker as a content creation expert and do not talk about yourself or your experience in the text and do not show yourself as an artificial intelligence who wrote and fill the bullet point in the topic and speak the heart of the topic itself and dont take date of blog in ther first and dont take text like box of newsliter subscribe on post from content and romove all linke insert in content and and remove all affiliate disclosure phrases on content like this “This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links that allow us to earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more info” and “#” put in its place bullet point, and romove name of the web site or his links we are take a content from our new creation
