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Locations - Marrakech

Expatriate community

Marrakech is Morocco’s second largest city. The official estimate of its population is around 1 million, though the actual number is thought to be closer to 2 million, and rising. The city has a large expatriate community, most of whom are European, with around 3,700 French. It is the main centre of industry and administration in the south of Morocco, and is considered to be the entertainment capital of the country.

Djemaa El Fna

The city of Marrakech is comprised of two parts: the medina and the modern city, known as Gueliz. It is in Gueliz that the Art Deco influence of the French during the early 1900s is best demonstrated. The centre of the medina has a well-known square, Djemaa El Fna, where numerous acrobats, storytellers, snake charmers, musicians, dancers, drummers and comedians perform. Marrakech also offers a wide variety of cuisine for all budgets. The appeal of Marrakech lies more in its variety of entertainment than in the kind of historical buildings and monuments offered by other cities.

Expats, artists and liberals

The city has been a fashionable destination for affluent, liberal-thinking foreigners for many years, as it combines authentic Moroccan culture with European style. From the 1930s, expatriates moved in and began to build Art Deco homes for themselves, and in the 1960s the development continued with numerous restaurants, guest houses and galleries appearing around the region. During the post-war years, many famous names came to Marrakech, from Winston Churchill to the Rolling Stones.

Most popular with foreign buyers

Marrakech is the source of many of the renovation projects that foreigners choose to take on, whether it is for their permanent residence or as a holiday home. Unrenovated riads in Marrakech with six bedrooms, a terrace and views of the city are advertised from around £50,000, but the main cost is in the time and money taken to complete the project. Marrakech is the most popular Moroccan city with foreign property buyers looking for a riad, and this is likely to increase as low-cost airlines Ryanair and easyJet now operate services to the city from £30. There are currently around 600 riads available for holiday lets in the city; however, the demand for accommodation is high, and there is room enough in the market for further properties to be renovated and let out.

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Documents and Reports

	Morocco property investment report (386Kb)
	Morocco country guide (954Kb)
	Morocco property buying guide (828Kb)
Documents and Reports

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