El Jadida, Casablanca-Settat Region, Morocco

🇲🇦 El Jadida (الجديدة), also Maziɣen or Mazighen; or Mazagão, is a major port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 96 km south of the city of Casablanca, in the province of El Jadida and the region of Casablanca-Settat.

The fortified city, built by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 16th century and named Mazagan (Mazagão in Portuguese), was taken by the Moroccans in 1769.

El Jadida's old city sea walls are one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World. The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, on the basis of its status as an "outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures" and as an "early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology". According to UNESCO, the most important buildings from the Portuguese period are the cistern, and the Manueline Church of the Assumption.

The city, and particularly its neighbouring town of Sidi Bouzid, becomes extremely busy in the summer season with an influx of mainly Moroccan holidaymakers. Nearby is the five-star resort complex of Mazagan, which attracts some middle-class Moroccans as well as many international visitors from the Arabian Peninsula as well as from Europe and beyond. Mazagan complex has a golf course designed by Gary Player, casino, night-club and restaurants. Between Mazagan complex and El Jadida is the Pullman Hotel, attached to which is Royal Golf El Jadida, another 18-hole course. The presence of nearby ports and factories is responsible for the pollution of El Jadida's beaches.

The city is expanding as of 2014, partly as a result of increased activity at the nearby Jorf Lasfar port and its industrial zone.

Education The city houses many post-secondary academic institutions: Chouaib Doukkali University, including the following institutions: • Faculty of Science • Faculty of Letters and Humanities • Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Social Sciences • National School of Applied Sciences (ENSA) • National School of Business and Management (ENCG) • Superior School of Technology (EST) - Sidi Bennour (Outside El Jadida)

Office of Vocational Training and Promotion of Labor (OFPPT), including the following institutions: • Professional Qualification Center (CQP) • Specialized Institute of Applied Technology (ISTA) - Al-Massira • Specialized Institute of Applied Technology (ISTA) - City-of-the-Air • Specialized Institute of Hotel and Tourism Technology (ITHT) El jadida - • Specialized Institute of Hotel and Tourism Technology (ITHT) Al Haouzia -

(Outside El Jadida) • Institute of Applied Technology (ITA) - Azemmour (Outside El Jadida)

and: • Regional Centers for the Professions of Education and Training (CRMEF) • Section of "Higher Technician Certificate" (BTS) (at ar-Razi Technical High-School) • Section of "Preparatory Classes for Great Schools" (CPGE) (at ar-Razi Technical High-School) • Higher Institute of Engineering and Business (ISGA) (private).