1959
May 31 : Maghreb Arabe Presse news agency (MAP) was founded by a group of Maghreban patriots led by Mehdi BENNOUNA as a limited company worth 200,000 dirhams fully subscribed. MAP was located then at 10, Place Alawites.
November 18th : On the occasion of the Throne’s Day, the late King Mohammed V, accompanied by the late King Hassan II, then Crown Prince, and HRH Prince Moulay Abdallah, launched MAP news service at the King’s Office in Rabat. The late Sovereign sent through the teleprinter, a message in Arabic which defined as MAP’s motto: “The news is sacred, comment is free.”
November 25th : MAP delivers its first news story in French.
1961
Launch of the Middle East Service (Bulletin devoted to current events in the Middle East).
1975
May 31 : Transfer agreement between the shareholders of the Maghreb Arabe Presse Company and the State
March 1 : Opening of the Fez office
April 1st : Opening of the Marrakech office
October 14 :
– Opening of the Agadir office
– Launch of the English Desk
1977
September 19 : Dahir No. 1-75-235 makes of MAP a ”public institution with legal personality and financial autonomy, under the authority of the government department in charge of information”
October 1 :
– Opening of the Oujda office
– Launch of MAP-News Bulletin
– Launch of ECONOMAP Bulletin
– Launch of MAP-Document Bulletin
1979
November 1 : Opening of MAP’s London office.
1981
January 1 : Launch of the Spanish Desk
1987
August 1 : Launch of MAP’s Mexico City and Tunis offices.
1989
August : Launch of MAP’s Algiers office.
1991
June : Launch of MAP-INTER Bulletin
1994
January : Adoption of editing and layout computerized systems (MEDIA)
September 1 : MAP closes its office in Mexico City and opens offices in Montreal (Canada) and Lisbon (Portugal).
1997
March :
– Launch of Weekly “MAPRESS”.
– Satellite transmission of MAP information services. MAP has a website and is available online.
2001
April : Appointment of a correspondent in the city of El Jadida
August : Appointment of correspondents in Marseille (France) and Ouarzazate
September : Appointment of correspondents in Essaouira and Damascus (Syria)
October : Appointment of a correspondent Baghdad (Iraq)
2004
February : Launch of the new editorial system, multilingual computerized system (MediaWorx)
2007
January 1 : MAP launches website in Japan available at: http://www.map-japan.jp/
March : MAP launches the electronic version of its newsletter “MAPINTER”, which aims to serve as a channel of communication among the Agency’s staff. This newsletter is available at: / mapinter.
2009
January 9 : Mr. Ali Bouzerda is appointed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI as MAP Director General.
November : MAP launches a special Maghreb bulletin devoted to news from the five Maghreb capitals and processed by the Agency offices across the Arab Maghreb countries.
2011
June 27 : Appointment of Mr. Khalil Idrissi Hashimi as MAP new Director General.
June 28 : Maghreb Press Agency (MAP) holds the presidency of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AAMAN) for the 2011-2012 period, during the Alliance’s 20th General Assembly, held in Tangier with the participation representatives of 22 news agencies and professional organizations in the region.
October 4 : MAP launches its newly redesigned and revamped website: www.map.ma, in four languages according to the highest webmastering standards of
1960
February : MAP relocates to 10 Rue Al Yamama – Rabat.
July :
– Under an agreement with AFP News Agency, MAP opens regional offices in Casablanca and Tangier
– Launch of the African Service
1974
January : The Agency MAP changes status to become a State-owned enterprise.
1976
April : Launch of MAP’s international office in Paris
1978
March 1 : Launch of MAP’s international office in Madrid
May 1st : Launch of MAP’s international office in Washington
July : Adoption of the Statutes of MAP staff
October 1 : Launch of MAP’s international office in Brussels
1980
July 1 : Launch of MAP’s international office in Dakar
1985
October 1 : Launch of MAP’s international office in Cairo
1988
September : Launch of MAP’s international office in Bonn
July 1 : Launch of MAP’s regional offices in Laayoune and Nador
November 16 : Launch of MAP’s international offices in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Rome (Italy)
December 7 : Prince Moulay Rachid inaugurates MAP’s new headquarters at Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah in Rabat
1990
Februar : Launch of MAP Foreign Service in French MAP (MAPEX/F)
June 6 : Launch of MAP international office in Moscow
1993
August : Launch of MAP international office in Geneva (Switzerland)
November 1 : Launch of MAP international office in Beirut (Lebanon)
1995
January 16 : Launch of MAP Foreign Service in Arabic (MAPEXA)
2000
December :
– Appointment of MAP foreign correspondents in Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, Ankara, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Pretoria, Malaga, Mexico City, New Delhi, Tehran and Tripoli.
– Appointment of MAP regional correspondents in Tan Tan, Taza and Tetouan
2003
September 10 : Mr. Mohammed Khabbachi is appointed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI as MAP Director General, replacing Mr. Mohammed Yassine Mansouri
October : Launch of MAP’s international office in New Delhi
2005
February 19 : Creation of MAP Press Club
March 1 : Launch of the new version of MAP’s website in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish
April 1 : Launch of MAP’s regional office in Ouarzazate, Tetouan and Errachidia.
April 15 : Launch of the Maghreban News Agencies network (POOL – UMA) on the Internet
June 1 :
– MAP launches MAP’s new mobile service “MAP MOBILE”.
– MAP publishes the 6th edition of “MEMOMAP”, a guide for policy makers (2005-2006).
October : MAP launches the electronic version of its different products (MAPACTUALITE, ECONOMAP, MAPRESS, MAPDOCUMENT).
2008
November 26 : MAP launches new reception software for its subscribers (MAPINFO). This system offers real-time news service in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish.
July : MAP publishes the 7th edition of “MEMOMAP”, a reference guide for policymakers, diplomats, and political, economic and media circles.
2010
March 1 : MAP launches a sports news wire. The new product offers sports events coverage, reports and interviews at the national and international levels.
March 23 : Mehdi Bennnouna, founder and first Director General of Maghreb Arabe Presse, passes away in Rabat at the age of 92 after battling a long illness.
August 1 : MAP launches its new website: www.map.ma.
2012
January 10 : Maghreb Arab Press Agency launches its news graphic service.
Jan. 26 : Inauguration of MAP’s journalists training center.
May 18 : Journalists of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency approve, by majority vote of 81.03 per cent, a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, formulated by a committee of professionals headed by former Minister of Communication Larbi Messari.
2014
June 30 : MAP launches a new Arabic SMS information service which offers subscribers all kind of news.
September 15 : Setting up of MAP Joint Management Board, a governance tool for participatory management and a guarantee for transparency and equality, during a ceremony chaired by communication minister, government spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi.
2016
January 12 : Presentation to Rabat Album MAP 2015: Morocco images “This is an annual retrospective restores, photos, highlights of a country on the move, giving the same wherever exceptional dynamism. That saw the Kingdom at all levels.
January 21 : MAP starts a new cycle of cultural meetings, with the first guest artist Moroccan painter, Abdelkebir Rabi.
January 22 : Award ceremony of Royal Wissams to MAP staff.
February 25 : MAP receives a video signal transmission vehicle / audio satellite “DSNG” (Digital Satellite News Gathering).
April 17 : MAP switched to a new professional and modern editorial system, called “MAP Global Workflow” (MGW), as part of the upgrade and modernization strategy initiated by MAP’s head office.
May 10-11 : Holding in Rabat of the third Executive Council of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), under the chairmanship of MAP Director- General, Khalil HACHIMI IDRISSI, FAAPA chairman.
June 1 :
– MAP journalist Adil Zaari Jabiri, director of the Agency’s Western Europe pole, won the prize of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN) for the best article.
– The prize was granted to Zaari Jabiri for his article entitled “In Brussels, refugees pin hope on solidarity to get shelter”, within the framework of AMAN 25th assembly, held from May 29 to June 2 in Tirana.
June 2 : Launching, in partnership with HJK Group, of a new information portal “www.trombinomap.ma”, to give a better view on the institutional and political landscape in Morocco, through an accurate, reliable and updated database of information.
August 11-20 : Several children of the staff of Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) paid a visit to London as part of a language stay, after winning the Prize of Academic Excellence, established by MAP Foundation.
December 7-9 : The holding in Rabat of the Fourth Meeting of the Executive Council of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), under the chairmanship of MAP Director General, Khalil HACHIMI IDRISSI, FAAPA President.
December 21 : The Maghreb Arab Press Agency won, in Rabat, the Award of Excellence of e-content category during the 10th edition of the e-Government National Prize “e-mtiaz 2016″.
December 23 : The launch, in Brussels (Belgium), of MAP International Pole in Western Europe, the sixth in a series of similar structures planned in the Agency’s strategic plan.
2018
January 22 : The Moroccan News Agency (MAP) launches an SOS Fake-news service that allows subscribers to immediately correct inaccurate information about them through MAP network.
2020
January 29 : MAP won, in Rabat, the Award of Excellence in the “Mobile Applications” category for its “Map News Display” application, at the 13th edition of the National Electronic Administration Prize “e-mtiaz 2019”.
Covid-19
March 16 : The MAP adopts remote work for all its journalistic and non-journalistic staff, as part of the efforts to fight the spread of the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
December 30 : Journalist Abdellatif Abilkassem of the Moroccan News Agency (MAP) has won the news agency’s award at the 18th edition of the National Press Grand Prix, for his portrait of “the American Jennifer Grout, ambassador plenipotentiary of the fascinating culture of Morocco”.
2022
March 8 : The Gender Parity Committee of the Moroccan News Agency (MAP) has launched ‘SOS écoute’; a special phone service intended to welcome the calls of the agency’s staff, men and women alike, who are going through a difficult period in their professional or personal lives.
2013
October 25 : Journalists of Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) elect five members of the Council of Editors , a new governance tool adopted by the agency as part of its future strategic vision.
November 1 : MAP Foundation pays tribute to MAP employees going into retirement, during a ceremony attended by MAP managing director and Foundation chairman Khalil Hachimi Idrissi and marked by granting royal wissams to some agency’s employees.
November 18 : Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) is re-elected in Riyadh as member of secretariat general of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA), along with news agencies of Qatar, Libya and Lebanon.
2015
January 27 : Launching of MAPLIVE: a new service that allows the public to remotely watch live events organized by the agency: Forums, diplomatic meetings, debates…etc.
March 5 : Presentation ceremony of “MAP’s Journalist Guide.”
May-June : Creation of “Academic Excellence Award,” which consists of a language course at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, offered by FMAP and benefiting 16 deserving students.
2017
July 3-6 : 26th General Assembly of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN) held in Agadir, announcing the chairmanship of MAP for the period 2017-2018.
2019
March 12 : Launch of MAP’s Parity Committee, a body meant to highlight the female component of the Agency’s human capital, at a constituent assembly held in Salé.
September 25 : MAP has published “Anniversary of the enthronement of HM King Mohammed VI: 20 years of reign”, a book recounting in images the two decades of the Sovereign’s reign marked by significant events and achievements at all levels and in all sectors.
November 14 : MAP celebrated its 60th anniversary at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat with a Gharnati music recital performed by a Maghreb orchestra, in the presence of various MAP staff, former executives of the Agency and personalities from the world of culture, media and sport.
November 27 : MAP won, in Marrakech, the prize of the Best Arab News Agency for the year 2019 in the category “Heritage and Media” of the 4th G2T Global Awards.
2023
April 8 : The Director General of the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, died in Rabat, at the age of 67, following a long illness.
May 19 : His Majesty King Mohammed VI appointed, on the proposal of the head of government and on the initiative of the minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mr. Fouad Arif as a Director General of the Moroccan News Agency (MAP).
May 20 : Mr. Fouad Arif, appointed by HM King Mohammed VI as Director General of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP), was installed during a ceremony chaired by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid.