MOSQUES, MEDINAS AND MEETINGS

Casablanca is the centre of Morocco's economic power, while key investments in Tangier have transformed the region

- TAMSIN COCKS

When you think of Casablanca, you can't help but think of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman exchanging sassy one-liners. The 1942 Hollywood classic conjures up a feeling of old-world glamour, romance and mystique that lingers to this day.

Disappointingly, it turns out not a single scene was actually filmed in Morocco. It was entirely shot at Warner Bros Studios in California, bar a few starring roles from Van Nuys airport and stock footage of Paris. (Rick's Cafe does exist, but it was opened in 2004 as a tribute to the film by former US diplomat Kathy Kriger.) There's still a sense of magic though, particularly at dawn when the city wakes under a blanket of fog that's sweetly tinged with the scent of the ocean, with the faint echo of mosques calling residents to prayer. As the sun pushes through, a bustling metropolis comes to life, and the spell is somewhat broken.

Casablanca, the centre of the Casablanca-Settat administrative region, is a major economic hub perched on the northwest tip of Africa. It is ranked the 54th most powerful in the world, according to the Global Financial Centres Index 2023 report, placing it between Brussels and Rome.

It's the financial capital of Morocco (Rabat, 90km up the coast, is the official capital) and the economic locomotive' of the country, with diverse business sectors generating 32 per cent of the country's GDP and 78 per cent of external trade.

Salman Barrada, director at the Casablanca Centre of Regional Investment, says: "Casablanca is really the story of Moroccan development. In the last 20 years particularly, we've seen huge acceleration in a lot of sectors, from pharmaceuticals to tech and renewable energy."