Some of the world’s leading investment bankers will meet Moroccan government officials, business leaders and technology experts in Casablanca on 20 November as Saham Bank hosts the first edition of its Business Transformation Forum. The event, which will take place at the Royal Mansour Casablanca, will bring together more than 40 Moroccan and international speakers to discuss the future of business, investment and the challenges facing companies.
The guest list includes senior figures from four major investment banking firms: Grégoire Chertok of Rothschild & Co, Emmanuel Goldstein of Morgan Stanley, Thierry Sancier of JP Morgan and Michaël Zaoui of Zaoui & Co.
They will join Moroccan business and public sector figures, including Moulay Hafid Elalamy, founder of the Saham Group, Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance, and Khalid Safir, head of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG).
Other Moroccan speakers include Hicham El Habti, president of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Mehdi Tazi, Rachid Guerraoui and businessman Moncef Belkhayat.
The international line-up also features writer and political analyst Giuliano da Empoli, artificial intelligence expert Justine Cassell of Carnegie Mellon University, journalists Christine Ockrent and Yves Thréard, and Morocco’s national football coach, Walid Regragui.
The forum, held under the theme “The New Frontiers of Business”, aims to encourage discussion between business leaders, entrepreneurs and experts about economic change and the challenges facing companies.
But the gathering also comes at an important moment for the bank and its owner, Moulay Hafid Elalamy. The Saham Group acquired Société Générale’s Moroccan banking operations in a deal worth €745m, or about 8bn dirhams, announced in April 2024.
The deal covered Société Générale Marocaine de Banques and its insurance subsidiary, La Marocaine Vie. It brought an end to more than 110 years of Société Générale’s presence in Morocco, which began in 1913.
The acquisition also marked Elalamy’s return to the financial sector after selling Saham’s insurance business to South African group Sanlam in 2018 for $1.05bn.
Saham Bank is now seeking to establish itself in a market where established players include Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Centrale Populaire and Bank of Africa.
The presence of senior executives from Rothschild & Co, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Zaoui & Co points to an ambition that goes beyond traditional banking. Their expertise includes advising companies on mergers and acquisitions, raising capital and restructuring businesses.
These services could become increasingly important as Morocco prepares for major investment projects linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, infrastructure development, renewable energy, industrial growth and artificial intelligence.
The forum also brings together people from different parts of the investment process. Nadia Fettah represents the government’s economic and financial policy, while Khalid Safir leads the CDG, one of the country’s major public investment institutions. Hicham El Habti and Rachid Guerraoui bring academic and technological expertise, while business leaders such as Mehdi Tazi and Moncef Belkhayat represent the private sector.
The gathering also reflects the close economic and financial links between Morocco and France. Several prominent French figures from banking and the media are on the programme, including Christine Ockrent and Yves Thréard.
Walid Regragui’s participation adds a sporting dimension to the event, linking the country’s international profile and preparations for the 2030 World Cup with its wider economic ambitions.
The event is described as an opportunity to bring together influential voices and offer new perspectives on the future of business.
