فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
El Jadida, Morocco – Inspector General Hassan Bouzidi, Head of the Sports Security Department at the General Directorate of Public Security, affirmed yesterday, Tuesday, that Moroccan security services have significantly enhanced their capabilities to confront all risks associated with hosting major sporting events. This assurance comes as part of preparations for upcoming global sports events, notably the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Bouzidi’s remarks were made during a conference on “Sports Security in the Face of the Challenges of Organizing AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup,” held as part of the National Security Open Days in El Jadida. Bouzidi clarified that Morocco possesses “all capabilities to counter cybercrimes and other potential threats that might jeopardize the smooth running of these sporting events.”
Accumulated Moroccan Expertise and Modern Technology Utilization
The Inspector General highlighted the significant experience the Kingdom has gained in organizing major sporting events, recalling Morocco’s hosting of several international events such as the FIFA Club World Cup in 2013, 2014, and 2022, in addition to organizing other global events in various sports disciplines.
Discussing the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) standards for securing all official venues, Bouzidi noted that drones are now central to security monitoring. He added that these aerial vehicles will play a pivotal role in securing public spaces, precisely monitoring and analyzing crowd movements, counting unruly spectators and identifying their identities, and enhancing field security response through continuous surveillance and proactive intervention.
Regarding security and logistical coordination to ensure the safety of sporting events, the Inspector General stated that the Command and Coordination Center will serve as a central communication hub for various security teams, forming the backbone of security communication. He pointed out that utilizing surveillance cameras installed on road axes and within stadiums will allow for monitoring any suspicious activity or emergency incidents, thereby enabling rapid response with the dispatch of emergency and rescue teams.
Crowd Management and Securing Fan Zones
The official presented several illustrations highlighting the Moroccan authorities’ vision for managing crowds around and inside stadiums. This vision is based on preventing the overlap of flows and designated routes for competing teams, VIPs, press, and spectators with special needs. This concept also places special emphasis on managing non-fan traffic, in addition to encouraging the use of public transportation for general audiences.
Bouzidi also outlined the measures to be taken to secure fan zones and entertainment areas, as well as procedures for controlling crowd movement across transportation networks, particularly airports and transport hubs in Moroccan host cities. He added that harmony and integration with relevant measures adopted in Spain and and Portugal, Morocco’s co-hosts for the 2030 World Cup, are essential.
For his part, the General Coordinator of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Mouad Hajji, lauded the immense efforts made by security services to ensure security during sporting events, especially football matches, which enjoy widespread public attendance and have become a national showcase and a vital arena for public interaction and societal and developmental stakes.
Hajji affirmed that the FRMF pays special attention to security within sports stadiums, considering it a fundamental pillar for the success of any football event and a guarantee of a sound and safe environment for players, fans, and all stakeholders in the field. He explained that the Federation, in full coordination with security agencies and various partners, is working to implement international standards for sports safety and security, in line with the recommendations of FIFA and CAF, as well as best practices adopted in major African countries.
Hajji emphasized that, within the sporting dynamism witnessed in Morocco, especially with upcoming major events like AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup, ensuring stadium security and safety has become a top priority and a shared collective responsibility requiring continuous mobilization and vigilance from institutions. He added that the FRMF, in close cooperation with security authorities, has embarked on implementing an integrated system based on international security standards for organizing football events, which includes modernizing and improving stadium security infrastructure, generalizing electronic ticketing and security control for entry and exit, allocating numbered seating areas, among other measures.
It is worth noting that the sixth edition of the General Directorate of National Security’s Open Days, organized at the Mohammed VI Exhibition Center in El Jadida, continues until May 21 under the slogan “Proud to serve an ancient nation and a glorious throne.” This coincides with the celebration of the 69th anniversary of the establishment of the General Directorate of National Security. The event aims to reinforce the National Security institution’s openness to its social environment, inform the public of all segments about the various tasks performed by different security units and formations mobilized to serve them, ensure their safety and property security, and maintain public order, as well as showcase all advanced equipment, tools, and mechanisms at the disposal of security services.
