The flight from Brussels, Belgium to Casablanca, Morocco was about 4 hours and when I arrived it was about 7PM and already dark. After going through the insanely long and slow line at customs, explaining to a non English speaking customs agent why I would be spending just over two months in their country, and picking up our rental truck, it was now time for our 120 kilometer drive through the thick fog and on to Khouribga.
First, here is a little information about where I am living and who we are working for:
Khouribga (Arabic: خريبكة) is a city in located in the Chaouia-Ouardigha region of Morocco with a population of approximately 172,000. The Province of Khouribga has a large phosphate reserve estimated 35 to 40 billion cubic meters, which is ranked first at the national level and in turn, owes 100% of its growth to the phosphate deposits located throughout the region.
The Project that I am working on, known as the "Slurry Pipeline Project," is being developed on behalf of a company know as The OCP Group (Arabic: المكتب الشريف للفوسفاط). The OCP Group, a state owned corporation founded in 1920 and headquartered in Morocco, is the world’s leading exporter of phosphate rock and derivative products. The company is solely responsible for the production and sale of Moroccan phosphate resources, mined at the Khouribga, Ben Guerir, Youssoufia mines totaling 85 billion cubic meters of reserves in central Morocco.
With the world’s largest phosphate reserves mostly located in the Khouribga basin in the center of Morocco, OCP is the first exporter of rock phosphate and phosphoric acid in the world and one of the main exporters of phosphate based fertilizers, with a commercial portfolio of over 130 customers and a presence on all five continents.
As the largest enterprise in Morocco, OCP is a key driver of the country’s economy. Phosphate and its derivatives represent in 2010, in value, approximately one quarter of Morocco's exports and about 3.5% of its GDP. OCP’s exports will be about 4.5 billion US dollars in 2010. OCP directly employs more than 18,000 employees.
Currently OCP transports all of their Phosphate by train from Khouribga to the coastal port city of El Jadida, roughly 138 km North West from where I am living. The pipeline that we are currently working on will increase their production and bottom line by a minimum or 10-15%!!!!
Now enough about what Khouribga and OCP is all about...Now here is what I have guathered from this small crowded town with my own two eyes...
Khouribga (the beginning portion of this pipeline project) is where us American, Turkish, Chilean and Peruvian expats will be calling home for the next few months. After the pipeline makes its way through Khouribga we will move West to the town of Setat and the on to the final stages which will take place in the port city of El Jadida.
Aside from the mining of Phosphate there is almost no other industry in the town of Khouribga. Many of the locals say that, "With out Phosphate, there would be NO Khourobga!"
There are very few single family residences in the town and most Moroccans in Khouribga live in mixed-use (residential and commercial) apartments or a select few that live out in the country side.
The living conditions very from building to building and most places look almost un-liveable. Most all of the apartment buildings are constructed with hand-made cinderblocks and the majority are not even complete. As for out in the country side, some houses are built with cinderblocks but most are constructed with large rocks held together either with clay or mortar.
Driving in Morocco is definitely some of the most INSANE driving conditions I have ever encountered in my life! Why so much traffic and inherent danger you ask...The most common reasons for the crazy traffic and driving conditions has much to do with the the extremely narrow slivers of asphalt they call roads and highways. In addition to this, bikers, moped-ers, pedestrians and horse & donkey drawn carriages/trailers are all expected to "share" the road with all of the insane and impatient drivers...AT THE SAME TIME! It is definitely quite interesting to see how these Moroccans load and transport their livestock, fruit, vegetables, and even any goods they may have to try and barter with at the outdoor markets.... I'll come back to this topic another day...
Shopping for anything is always quite the task as well. With an extremely limited selection at the local grocery store (which there is only one of) most locals do the majority of their shopping at the outdoor market places otherwise know as a Souk (Arabic: سوق ). The Souk near our condos is a grid of alley ways where vendors fill the center of the road with their carts or booths and on the adjacent sides of the alley are small, hole-in-the-wall where you can fine almost anything that you need...if you know where to find it that is. However, this to me is an incredibly akward and odd way to find the products that you need on a daily or weekly basis. Also to top it all of nothing in the Souk has a set price and most people barter the goods or services they can provide for what they need or want. To say the lease this is probably the most interesting as well as frustrating daily tasks we all get to deal with. ..Ill come back to this topic another day as well soon.
Attached are some photos of good ol' Khouribga...
