Omar El Hayani, a councilor in the Rabat municipality representing the Federation of the Democratic Left, announced that a new road will be constructed to connect the Agdal Riyadh and Souissi districts. This project, he explained, will require the demolition of a significant portion of the student residences at the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine. In a post on his Facebook account, El Hayani stated that this issue was discussed at the Rabat City Council meeting at the end of last January, upon the request of the Rabat Wilaya. «We, in the Federation of the Democratic Left, strongly opposed the expansion and creation of certain streets due to their lack of priority and the damage they would cause (though we supported other streets). Unfortunately, we were the only ones in the council aligned with this position». He raised several questions, asking, «Are these your priorities? Is there no other solution to create this road? Is this road really necessary?» El Hayani also shared an announcement from the students of the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, which stated that «a large portion of the student housing (wings 5, 9, 10, 11) will be demolished in preparation for the 2030 World Cup». The announcement further noted, «The decision was made directly by the ministry, and the institute's administration has no say in the matter». The students continued, «At the moment, we do not have precise information about alternative housing for the affected students. What is certain is that we must act together». The announcement called for a general assembly to be held today, Wednesday, to discuss the situation and determine the actions that can be taken. It is important to note that Rabat has been experiencing demolitions in several of its neighborhoods for the past few weeks, along with the implementation of expropriation procedures for public benefit, which have sparked widespread protests from those affected. Last Friday, Fatiha El Moudni, President of the Rabat Communal Council, stated at a press conference that implementing the Rabat development plan requires expropriation procedures for public benefit, which have already been carried out in several neighborhoods in the capital. She confirmed that the development plan was approved and published in the official gazette on February 24, 2025.
