Latest news with #Casablanca
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Omar Zizi joins Al Tamimi & Company as partner in Morocco
Al Tamimi & Company, the leading full-service legal firm in the Middle East, has announced the addition of Omar Zizi as Partner in Casablanca, marking a significant step in the firm's renewed presence in Morocco. This strategic combination reflects the firm's ongoing commitment to delivering top-tier legal services across North Africa. Omar's appointment, along with his team, enhances Al Tamimi & Company's regional capabilities and underscores its long-term investment in Morocco as a key jurisdiction for cross-border activity and economic growth. 'Omar's deep legal expertise and understanding of the Moroccan market will be instrumental as we reaffirm our presence in Casablanca,' said Essam Al Tamimi, the chairman at Al Tamimi & Company. 'This move represents a new chapter in our growth story and reflects our belief in Morocco's strategic importance to the region.' Omar Zizi brings extensive experience in advising on complex legal matters, with particular focus on banking, industry, and regulatory matters. His addition to the firm supports Al Tamimi & Company's objective to be the legal partner of choice for local and international clients operating in Morocco and beyond. 'I am honoured to join Al Tamimi & Company and be part of its next chapter in Morocco,' said Omar Zizi. 'Together, we are well positioned to provide clients with trusted, commercially focused legal support across borders and sectors.' Jody Waugh, managing partner at Al Tamimi & Company, commented on the appointment: 'Omar's joining marks an exciting step forward for our firm in North Africa. His reputation and insight into the Moroccan legal landscape make him a natural fit for Al Tamimi & Company, and his leadership will be key as we continue to grow our presence in this important market.' The integration strengthens the firm's footprint across 10 jurisdictions and reinforces its vision of being the benchmark for legal excellence across the Middle East and North Africa.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
At Rick's Taj Mahal In Delhi, Casablanca's Legacy Meets Saigon's Cocktail Craft
New Delhi: "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." The line that made Rick Blaine immortal. Delivered by Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 Hollywood classic Casablanca, it's less of a dialogue and more of a mood. Nostalgia sneaks up on you, sometimes through memories and sometimes through atmosphere. Over 80 years later, Rick Blaine's line still lingers like the last sip of a strong drink. At Rick's, Taj Mahal, New Delhi's signature bar named after the iconic gin joint from Casablanca, the charm of old Hollywood blended with South Asian cocktail flavours for an event that brought one of Asia's most celebrated cocktail destinations to the national capital on July 23. 'A Saigon Soiree' brought STIR Saigon, counted among Asia's 50 Best Bars, to the signature bar. The atmosphere at the bar does not evoke the tumultuous period of Casablanca during World War II or the ache Humphrey Bogart's character, Rick Blaine, had to endure, but rather modern jazz, dim lighting, and Adele's iconic singles. Much like the city of Casablanca, which lies in North Africa in Morocco but whose cityscape often exhibits a French legacy, the menu and the bar's theme were also a crossover between the Moroccan city and Indochine flavours. Quoc Huy and Le Thinh from Stir Saigon - which was among Asia's top 50 bars in 2025 - stepped into Rick's for a takeover and used Vietnamese ingredients and methods, with adjustments to make them more approachable. Rick's offered spirit-based cocktails like the Truffle Martini and Tropical Negroni, bringing a South Asian touch to the European classic. It was the whisky-based Smoky Berries, rich and slightly mysterious, that stood out for its balance, along with Pinehattan, which became the most popular drink of the night. The bar culture in Vietnam and Delhi may be different from each other, but Huy and Thinh, through their collaborative effort, served their cocktails in a new setting seamlessly. Rick's Reimagined was unveiled in 2023 at Taj Mahal, New Delhi, with a concept inspired by the classic film Casablanca while embracing the spirit of modern mixology. It combines the 1940s with the contemporary charm of today to offer a space where guests can indulge in the finest of drinks, world cuisine and eclectic music amidst a rich atmosphere. Known as a haven for cocktail aficionados, the Signature Serves are made with ingredients like Japanese Miso, homemade infusions, and pickles. With distinctive techniques such as milk washing, clarification, and sous vide, Rick's presents complex and balanced flavours like Ilsa's Last Song and Umami Ugarte, amongst other new signature concoctions.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Morocco to spend billions on airports ahead of World Cup
Morocco is set to invest 38 billion dirhams ($4.2 billion) over the next five years to overhaul its main airports, preparing for the World Cup it will co-host with Portugal and Spain. The Moroccan government announced on Thursday that an agreement has been signed with the national airports authority, ONDA, to facilitate this extensive project. Under the deal, 25 billion dirhams will be allocated for airport expansion, with 13 billion dirhams designated for maintenance and land acquisition. The government plans to expand its airport capacity to 80 million passengers by 2030 from 38 million currently. In May, Morocco issued two expressions of interest to identify bidders for its plan to build a new terminal that will increase capacity at its largest airport in Casablanca by 20 million passengers. British tourists are increasingly choosing north Africa as a holiday destination, with travel firms reporting a shift away from traditional European hotspots. The rise in popularity is due to the availability of high-quality hotels in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, which are significantly cheaper than similar options in Spain, France, and Italy, experts say. Aviation analysts Cirium have reported a significant increase in flights from UK airports to north Africa, with 19,847 flights projected for this year. Tui has increased its flights from the UK to north Africa this summer to meet growing demand, with new routes from Stansted to Enfidha in Tunisia and from Newcastle to Agadir, Morocco. Online accommodation marketplace said it recorded a 68 per cent increase in the number of searches for summer breaks in Tunisia during the first five months of this year, compared with the same period in 2024. Egypt and Morocco saw rises of 64 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Morocco to spend billions on airports ahead of World Cup
Morocco is set to invest 38 billion dirhams ($4.2 billion) over the next five years to overhaul its main airports, preparing for the World Cup it will co-host with Portugal and Spain. The Moroccan government announced on Thursday that an agreement has been signed with the national airports authority, ONDA, to facilitate this extensive project. Under the deal, 25 billion dirhams will be allocated for airport expansion, with 13 billion dirhams designated for maintenance and land acquisition. The government plans to expand its airport capacity to 80 million passengers by 2030 from 38 million currently. In May, Morocco issued two expressions of interest to identify bidders for its plan to build a new terminal that will increase capacity at its largest airport in Casablanca by 20 million passengers. Morocco reported a record 17.4 million visitors last year, up 20% from 2023, and it expects to attract 26 million tourists in 2030. (Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi) British tourists are increasingly choosing north Africa as a holiday destination, with travel firms reporting a shift away from traditional European hotspots. The rise in popularity is due to the availability of high-quality hotels in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, which are significantly cheaper than similar options in Spain, France, and Italy, experts say. Aviation analysts Cirium have reported a significant increase in flights from UK airports to north Africa, with 19,847 flights projected for this year. Tui has increased its flights from the UK to north Africa this summer to meet growing demand, with new routes from Stansted to Enfidha in Tunisia and from Newcastle to Agadir, Morocco. Online accommodation marketplace said it recorded a 68 per cent increase in the number of searches for summer breaks in Tunisia during the first five months of this year, compared with the same period in 2024. Egypt and Morocco saw rises of 64 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.
Globe and Mail
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Oh, Hi!: What happens when a rom com meets Misery
Oh, Hi! Directed by Sophie Brooks Written by Sophie Brooks, Molly Gordon Starring Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman Classification R; 93 minutes Oh, Hi! is what might actually happen if your approach to true love was tinted with Misery. After four perfect months together, Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) embark on a relationship milestone and flee the big city to spend a romantic weekend at a rented farmhouse in upstate New York. Obviously, they're cute. They're happy. Isaac cooks scallops. Their banter is healthy, their sex life is fun. The two resemble a photo spread from a J. Crew catalogue at its peak: beautiful and tousled and unbothered by mosquitos at night. This is what it looks like when you've found your soulmate. At least that's what Iris thinks. Choosing the worst possible time, Isaac informs her that they're not exclusive. He doesn't want a relationship, and up until that point he didn't think they were serious. Iris, heartbroken, responds the way anybody would if they'd attended the school of Annie Wilkes. She holds Isaac captive in an attempt to convince him that he's actually in love. Positioned as a romantic comedy, Oh, Hi! is less Nora Ephron than I Think You Should Leave. Bizarre and deranged, its characters are chaotic, narcissistic and profoundly unwell. In fact, they're both terrifying: Iris is what happens when you apply fictionalized grand 'romantic' gestures to real-world situations, and Isaac seemingly lives by the ethos of a Weeknd song. Yet the film still works. Directed by Sophie Brooks and co-written by Gordon, it subverts both the rom-com and horror genres to produce an original story that thwarts predictability. Gordon is sharp, funny and brings just enough humanity to Iris that you feel sorry for her broken heart and terrible judgment – despite desperately hoping that you never meet her in real life. It also helps that she's aided by comedy gold: Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds show up just in time to add levity and fresh perspectives to a premise that could easily get stale. Especially since Lerman plays an everyman whose sole personality is 'totally perfect, until not.' Is any of it believable? Relatable? Does it need to be? Hardly a Hallmark film, Oh, Hi! is a testimony to what happens when we pour creative energy into original storylines instead of the dark abyss of reboot culture. By blending romance and horror tropes, Brooks and Gordon highlight the ridiculousness that defines each and illuminate the toxicity sensationalized by the classics. (There's more than one Casablanca call-out involved.) The story isn't aspirational and its characters are mostly irredeemable, but it exposes the outlandish nature of most rom-com plot devices by committing to the most common: two characters who suck. Oh, Hi! is the last love story you want to cite when writing your own, and Iris and Isaac are the last people you would ever want to spend a weekend away with. But for 90 minutes in a movie theatre? Their company will at least keep your attention.
