Anne-Claire Legendre will travel to Morocco from June 19 to 24, 2026, at the invitation of Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid. This is her first official trip to the kingdom since becoming president of the Arab World Institute (IMA) last February. The visit aims to outline a joint cultural roadmap between the Paris-based institution and Morocco, building on recent discussions between both sides.
Over six days, her itinerary will take her to Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech. Billed as the first official visit by an IMA president to Morocco, the tour includes a meeting with Bensaid to discuss the joint roadmap. She will also hold talks with heads of Moroccan cultural institutions and foundations, and meet various figures from the country’s creative and cultural sector.
This trip follows a previous meeting in Paris at IMA headquarters between Minister Bensaid and President Legendre. It was the first time the minister visited the institution since Legendre’s appointment. During that meeting, they worked on a shared roadmap focused on strengthening cooperation in “cultural sectors of the future”, including animation, comics, Arabic-language book distribution, and cinema.
After that exchange, Legendre announced her intention to visit Rabat to meet with Moroccan cultural institutions. Bensaid linked this cooperative momentum to the strengthened ties between Paris and Rabat following French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco.
Legendre became IMA president on February 17, 2026, following the resignation of her predecessor Jack Lang, who had held the role for 13 years. She is the first woman to lead the institution since its founding. From December 2023, she served as advisor to the French president for North Africa and the Middle East, a position she left to join the IMA.
The IMA was founded in a unique diplomatic context. The idea dates back to February 28, 1980, under the moral authority of a High Council composed of representatives from Arab League member states. Morocco is among the 19 Arab countries that, together with France, financed the institution’s creation, envisioned as a forum for dialogue between France, Europe, and the Arab world.
This institutional rapprochement extends beyond the IMA. In March 2026, Legendre met in Paris with Mehdi Qotbi, president of the National Foundation of Museums, to discuss partnership prospects. Qotbi linked these discussions to the “Enhanced Exceptional Partnership” between Morocco and France, driven by King Mohammed VI and President Macron.
The June 19-24 visit will bring this series of bilateral exchanges to Morocco, giving them concrete follow-up on the ground.
