"Rabat, a city inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list, has a powerful universal cultural legacy, enhanced by an urban development that highlights its cultural and educational heritage," Addahre told MAP.

Rabat, he said, "is recognized today for its infrastructure and cultural activities which serve as a real lever that contributes to building a future-oriented Morocco that is anchored in its African roots, and focused on interacting with the world and its new realities.”

Among the capital's cultural infrastructure, the diplomat cited the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Mohammed V Theater, the Grand Theater of Rabat, “hailed as one of the world's finest,” and the Kingdom's National Library.

"Today's designation comes after the decision of naming Rabat as the African Capital of Culture for the year 2022-2023, to highlight Africa's cultural and civilizational richness and diversity, as well as the deep human and cultural ties that bind African countries,” he underlined.

He noted that “the implementation of the Royal vision has successfully turned this magnificent city into a crossroads of world's cultures,” recalling that Rabat hosted in December 2022 the 17th session of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage, which, given its resounding success, has foreshadowed this magnificent nomination.

On Tuesday, UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced that Rabat has been named World Book Capital for 2026, on the recommendation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee.