LIBREVILLE, Gabon, June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Casablanca Finance City promoted a new model for African finance at the New York Forum Africa this week.

Said Ibrahimi, Chief Executive of Casablanca Finance City, participated as an expert panellist at the Forum, which took place in Libreville, Gabon, on 8-10 June.

Morocco is already home to over 2,500 international businesses, some of which are looking to expand and take advantage of untapped potential in the region. Casablanca Finance City will bring together businesses operating across Greater North West Africa under the umbrella of a trusted label, and will help investors to navigate barriers and facilitate ease of doing business.

Said Ibrahimi said:

"African countries must work together to ensure international traders and investors can keep their dealings with our diverse markets as simple and economical as possible. A new financial hub to service north and west Africa is essential to provide investors with the consolidation and economies of scale they need to participate in Africa's exciting transformation."

Casablanca Finance City aims to aggregate the significant opportunities on offer across diverse African markets, remove traditional barriers to investment and provide investors with the economies of scale they need to take full advantage of growth potential in "Greater North West Africa" (GNWA), a region with great potential but largely uncharted in investment terms.

Through a live ecosystem of international business, financial institutions and professional services Casablanca Finance City will facilitate growth in the region by providing a gateway to GNWA.

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Notes to editors

About the Moroccan Financial Board

The Moroccan Financial Board, a company made up of a public-private partnership between significant figures of the financial sector, is responsible under the law 44-10 relative to 'CFC Status' for the global running and institutional promotion of Casablanca Finance City. Casablanca Finance City aims to make Casablanca a regional hub of the financial profession and a preferential gateway to African countries, in particular to the countries of North, West and Central Africa.

http://www.mfboard.com

About Greater North West Africa (GNWA)

The GNWA is the majority French speaking countries that stretch from the southern tip of Democratic Republic of Congo, up to Libya and then west to the Atlantic and the furthest regions of the Maghreb. The GNWA has a combined GDP of $770billion and a growing population of 500 million. Casablanca is the natural entry point to access opportunity in this region.

SOURCE Casablanca Finance City