RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco is laying down foundations to build a homegrown gaming industry by establishing a developer hub in the capital, training coders and launching programs to draw tech-savvy youth into the sector.
State officials invited developers, students and tech companies from around the world to a gaming expo in Rabat this week, where guests tested new games, competed in e-sports tournaments and heard about new initiatives to bring the burgeoning industry to Morocco. Attendees at the Morocco Gaming Expo battled through shooting games, explored immersive virtual reality worlds, tested educational platforms and mingled with mobile providers eager to stake their claim in the growing mobile gaming market.
The event, in its second year, is one of the few ways in which African countries are diversifying their economies and attracting new industries for their young workforces.
Morocco is positioning itself as one of Africa's first countries to roll out targeted strategies for the gaming industry. Mehdi Ben Said, Morocco's Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, said the government aims to both attract international game companies to Morocco and incentivize Moroccan developers to create their own products. With youth unemployment close to 30% and many young people eyeing opportunities abroad, the gaming industry could be a way to spark job growth and diversify opportunities, he said.
“The objective is not only to generate revenue, but also to empower youth,” Ben Said said. “We must offer real alternatives to our young people by opening up new career opportunities.”
With more than $200 billion in annual revenue and 3 billion players, the global market for video games is undergoing rapid growth. But even as smartphones have become ubiquitous in the Middle East and Africa, the industry has remained concentrated in East Asia, North America and Western Europe. Driven primarily by game sales, Morocco’s industry currently generates over $500 million annually, according to state officials, who aim to double this revenue by 2030.
Morocco is launching training programs in game design, programming and virtual reality alongside an industrial park where startups can incubate new games. The initiative includes a $26-million investment to open “Rabat Gaming City,” featuring training, co-working spaces and full-scale production studios.
For students the industry offers a chance to turn a passion into a career, said Fadwa Bezzazi, coordinator of Universite Mohammed V's undergraduate club in computer science and virtual reality. Students, who are already spending money on mobile or PC games, want to find ways to put what they're learning in the classroom into practice.
“I'm not going to say we're preparing them for the future, because that future is already here,” she said.
Jason Chen of Huawei Morocco, left, and Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Ben Said attend a presser during the Morocco Gaming Expo in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday July 2, 2025. (AP Photo)
Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Ben Said speaks during the Morocco Gaming Expo in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday July 2, 2025. (AP Photo)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.
Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.
“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.
"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.
Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.
Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.
Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.
At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.
Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.
Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.
After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.
“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”
Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.
Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.
His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.
“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”
Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.
FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
