Forbes Middle East recently unveiled its 30 Under 30 compendium for 2023, highlighting the outstanding achievements of young Moroccans in a variety of fields. This year’s list features 145 individuals from 22 nationalities spread across 20 countries who are breaking down barriers, enacting meaningful change, and providing substantial contributions to their areas of expertise.
The spotlight is on Zakaria Azemzi and Abdelaziz El Aiachi, both 28 years old, in the field of Science & Technology. They pioneered revolutionary software and hardware solutions for the petroleum industry as cofounders of AZA Petrosolutions. Their data analytics technology optimizes fuel consumption, resulting in significant waste and expense reduction for a variety of enterprises. AZA’s products are currently utilized at over 1,100 petrol stations in Morocco, and they have expanded into African countries such as Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Nigeria.
Turning to the realm of Entertainment, Azzedine Ounahi, a 23-year-old footballer, captured attention for his pivotal role in Morocco’s historic journey to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. His remarkable performance earned him a move to Olympique de Marseille in January 2023 for $8.5 million, plus $2.1 million in bonuses and a share of a future sell-on fee. Ounahi’s journey began in Casablanca, playing in Morocco from 2010 to 2018 before joining his first French club, RC Strasbourg.
In the same category and profession, 26-year-old Sofyan Amrabat was also instrumental in Morocco’s run to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 semi-finals. His stellar performance earned him a loan move to Manchester United in September 2023 from ACF Fiorentina, where he had played a key role in the previous season’s Coppa Italia and UEFA Europa Conference League finals.
Faouzia Ouihya, a 22-year-old Moroccan-Canadian singer, earned the limelight in the Entertainment category as well. Her song “RIP, Love” has accumulated over 107 million international streams since its release in March 2022. Faouzia has established herself as a remarkable musician, garnering distinction as one of Variety’s “Artists to Watch for the 2022 Grammys.”
Zineb Wakrim, a 21-year-old filmmaker, adds to the Entertainment section. She achieved history in 2023 when she became the first female Moroccan filmmaker to be selected for the renowned Cannes Film Festival. Her short film, “Ayyur (Moon),” earned third place in the 2023 “Cinef” competition, which was held in conjunction with the 76th Cannes Film Festival. Wakrim is a filmmaker, visual artist, and psychology student.
Shifting to Commerce and Finance, Malak Bennani, 27, stands out as the co-founder and COO of LNKO. Bennani founded this eyeglass company with her sister Maha in 2020. The enterprise has grown quickly–with 12 points of sale–and aims to build three more stores in Morocco by the end of 2023. Morocco, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mauritania are among the seven countries in which it operates.