A warm welcome was given on the beach of the Cité des Alizés to the 195 crews representing 12 nationalities, including Moroccan competitors who include in their ranks the former Olympic champion and former Minister of Youth and Sport, Nawal El Moutawakil .
Thus, a parade of the participating crews, the various partners and the teams of the organizers of this major event, which started on March 18 in Nice (France) before arriving in Erfoud, was organized to the great delight assistance.
On this occasion, the prestigious aerobatic team “Marche Verte” of the Royal Air Forces gratified the inhabitants and visitors of Essaouira, who came in large numbers to attend the arrival of this prestigious Rally, with breathtaking air shows.
The experienced pilots of this famous patrol have masterfully led their aircraft, drawing real pictures in the air and performing breathtaking aerial maneuvers and acrobatics, in a style that reflects their harmony and agility recognized in the international scale.
This grandiose spectacle transformed the blue sky of the City of Mogador into an artistic work combining colors and extraordinary movements.
Subsequently, a ceremony to award trophies to the winning crews in the various categories (E-Gazelles, SSV & Quads, Crossovers and 4×4 & Trucks) was organized in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco, André Azoulay , King’s Advisor and Founding President of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the European Central Bank, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Minister of Economy and Finance, Fatima-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism , Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, the governor of the province, Adil El Maliki, the general manager of the ONMT, Adel El Fakir, the president of the council of the municipality of Essaouira, Tarik Ottmani as well as as other personalities and representatives of local authorities.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prince Albert II said he was “extremely happy to be in Essaouira and in Morocco, this wonderful country that we all love very much”, while welcoming the friendship and the hospitality extended to him during this visit.
He also wanted to pay tribute to the founder and CEO of this rally, Dominique Serra, and to her entire organizing team, highlighting the values carried by this event and the environmental commitment that the Rally has demonstrated over the years. .
“Let’s all move together towards an energy transition and clean mobility for a better future and a low-carbon economy which is absolutely essential for our future,” he said.
For her part, Ms. Lagarde highlighted the exceptional solidarity and collective resistance as well as the values of sharing and mutual aid demonstrated by the Gazelles during this prestigious event, while paying a strong tribute to Ms. Serra who embodies the values of “resilience, friendship, solidarity, equality and respect” brought by the gazelles.
“For 15 days, you took your destiny into your own hands and you proved that women were capable of anything, and especially of the best,” she said.
“What you have demonstrated by taking your destinies into your own hands, continue to do so in your daily life and within your businesses (…) and let us ensure that the destiny of the world is also and above all taken care of by women” , continued Ms. Lagarde.
For her part, Ms. Ammor praised the work of the organizers, in particular Ms. Serra, who made this event a “lifetime adventure” for all women in respect of environmental values.
The rally helped convert several competitors into ambassadors of Morocco, she said, while expressing her pride as a woman in front of these gazelles who braved obstacles and demonstrated the values of women, made of solidarity but also of courage. and resilience.
This event “offers visibility to women who are not highlighted enough for all the qualities they embody”, she observed, while welcoming all the participants, in particular the Moroccan crews who proudly hoisted the colors of the Kingdom.
As for Ms. Fettah Alaoui, who succeeds Christine Lagarde at the head of the Rally’s ethics committee, she wanted to pay tribute to Ms. Serra for her capacities for resilience and endurance which she continues to demonstrate.
She also honored the Gazelles taking part in this major event for their resilience as well as for the human and universal values that they convey and pass on, while welcoming the initiative of 52 crews to compete in favor of so many of civil society associations.
Mrs. Serra, for her part, indicated that the Gazelles participating in this Rally are ambassadors in the different corners of the world for the promotion of Morocco and its values of tolerance, hospitality and welcome.
She highlighted the magic and emotion emanating from this event, which celebrates the performance and self-transcendence shown by the gazelles (from 18 to 72 years old) for a fortnight.
The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is the only Rally-Raid in the world to be part of an environmental and civic approach by having obtained the ISO 14001 standard certification in 2010, we recall.
It should be noted that since 2017, the “Aïcha des Gazelles” Rally, which hosts the “E-Gazelles”, the 1st 100% electric category in the world of rally-raid, has developed since its birth another vision of motor racing: no speed, no GPS but old-fashioned navigation, only off-road for a return to the sources of Adventure.
The participants, called “the Gazelles”, must join several beacons in order by covering the shortest possible distance. It is the only event in the world that has offered this concept for 30 years.