In Late 2024 Morocco Joined the MENA Digital Asset Trend in Crypto

Late 2024 saw the Spanish government abolish the real estate investment option for non-EU nationals to acquire the Spanish Golden Visa. This policy change justified by the supposed contribution affluent foreigners are making to rising Spanish housing costs in fact, will do nothing to reduce the cost of a home for ordinary Spaniards, who were mostly not impacted by the 500,000 euro minimum property cost threshold for investment.

While Spain will offer foreigners a transition period to be grandfathered in and prior Golden Visa recipients can renew their residency through May 1, 2025, the overall rising cost of living in Spain as in the rest of the EU and the deteriorating attitude of the ruling socialist parties toward entrepreneurs may lead some to move on or look at other options. Just across the Strait of Gibraltar and the British colony along the Spanish southern coast is the North African country of Morocco, where housing is more affordable than in Spain--and so is the cost of hiring and employing an English/French/Arabic speaking start-up team.

With more regular flights for visitors to enjoy the Atlas Mountains as well as Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean coastlines, tourism to Morocco has been quietly picking up since the Pandemic. Morocco remains one of the few places in the world where you can hit the snowboarding and ski slopes in the morning and be on the beach by mid-evening. Our South Florida born-and-raised friend Francisco Gonzalez in recent years traveled to Morocco, one of the first Muslim nations he'd ever visited. Francisco telling us about his trip sparked our interest in learning more about residency options in this ancient land.

As our MENA Editor Ahmed notes below, Rabat recently announced that it's legalizing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This could encourage fintech/DeFi entrepreneurs to take a closer look at this highly affordable and very safe country.