Rabat: The revival and revitalization of the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Museum is likely to strengthen and expand the network of cultural and artistic infrastructure at the heart of Essaouira’s current economic and social momentum, Founding President of the Essaouira Mogador Association Andr© Azoulay said on Monday in Rabat.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Azoulay spoke alongside Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid; President of the National Museum Foundation Mehdi Qotbi; and President of the Essaouira Communal Council Tarik Ottmani. Azoulay welcomed the partnership that now brings these three institutions together to “breathe new life into this museum, which has long been the city’s leading cultural institution, before becoming a mere shadow of its former self and its glorious past.”

Azoulay emphasized that the Essaouira School of Visual Arts “is flourishing in Morocco and worldwide,” highlighting the “legitimacy and urgency of providing a space and a shared home for the painters, sculptors, and photographers who have given form and substance to the rich creativity that defines the uniqueness of the school.” He noted that the school “has long since found its place in major Western museums of contemporary art and in the collections of private art lovers and professional patrons,” describing a highly successful experience in Essaouira spaces “multiplying memorials and exhibition venues that enjoy resounding success today.”

Azoulay concluded by mentioning “Bayt Dakira, inaugurated in Essaouira by HM King Mohammed VI on January 15, 2020, as the most eloquent and spectacular reflection of this, with 97,500 visitors in 2024 and over 120,000 in 2025.” He noted “the proactive grounding of Essaouira’s momentum in a synthesis that skillfully combines universal heritage riches, diverse cultures, and the immense potential of our creative arts-which keep pace with transformations and technological revolutions, in the global markets and scenes of Culture and Arts.”