The first car made entirely in Morocco has taken to the country's roads for the first time after it was unveiled at Gitex Africa.
After stealing the show at the technology exhibition that paired investors with the emerging digital start-up market in Africa, the Neo Motors jeep took to the roads of Rabat.
While just a handful of prototype vehicles have been produced, a $15 million vehicle production plant in the capital is poised to begin work on about 7,000 cars expected to be sold this year.
As Africa’s largest vehicle exporter, Morocco is looking to claim a stake of its own in the automotive market by bringing the range of fibreglass vehicles into the market, with plans to eventually expand into Europe.
Once vehicles leave the assembly line in Ain Aouda from July, vehicles will be offered to consumers for between $15,000 and $20,000, depending on specification.
Styled on an American military jeep of the 1940s, the Neo may run on conventional fuel, but it is fully recyclable.
Although Morocco does not have a net zero target in place, the government’s renewable energy targets are the core of a national decarbonisation strategy.
Morocco aims to increase its renewable energy capacity to 52 per cent of its electricity mix by 2030.
Part of those plans is a greener vehicle also made in Morocco expected to launch in 2025, when the first hydrogen-powered car developed by NamX goes into production.
Another prototype made in Morocco, the NamX Hydrogen Utility Vehicle (HUV) is equipped with a central hydrogen fuel tank.
The car’s six removable capsules can deliver long-range driving capability and the ability to refuel in minutes.
Fuel cell electric vehicles powered by hydrogen are more efficient than cars driven by combustion engines and produce no harmful emissions – only warm air and water vapour.
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Background: Chemical Weapons
