Although it is in its first edition, the Young Entrepreneur Forum attracts particular interest due to its great importance. Organised by the Young Entrepreneur Foundation (FJE) at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech on 16 and 17 May under the theme "Entrepreneurship and youth employment: forum on the rural environment", this forum awakens and encourages entrepreneurial potential beyond the urban setting. Moreover, it comes in a context where it is important to offer concrete perspectives to young people.

Nearly 250 people from all regions of the Kingdom but also from 10 other countries were expected there to share concrete experiences that led to the creation of businesses by young project leaders.

In a context where every year the Moroccan economy provides, according to the figures put forward by the foundation, 100,000 jobs while nearly 200,000 young graduates enter the labour market, the forum aims to breathe momentum into job creation through the development of entrepreneurship.

This event therefore bets on the emergence of ideas, conclusions and initiatives likely to promote youth entrepreneurship, particularly in rural areas. Likewise, it aims to highlight the young people who have benefited from the support of the Young Entrepreneur Foundation and its partners to create their businesses. Moreover, the forum was also a favourable occasion to highlight the achievements of certain young entrepreneurs who have benefited from the support of the FJE.

According to the president of the FJE, Rida Lamrini, "all economic actors must be part of a growth dynamic capable of generating jobs, and not only in the city, but also and especially in rural areas".

It is clear that the rural environment is inclined to also become a terrain where projects can flourish and at the same time is in the process of shedding the simplistic description that was attributed to it as being an environment that can be of an urban nature but which, through its intimate links with the rural hinterland, and through the lack of infrastructure and services typically existing in an urban environment, carries within it brakes on the realisation of the initiatives of young project leaders. And for this, the forum focused on themes relating to this problem, notably the socio-cultural characteristics and the needs of young people in rural areas, the examination of incentive policies and the evaluation of the results achieved, the emergence of ideas, conclusions and

initiatives likely to advance the support of young promoters in rural areas...

The forum thus allowed for the forging of new contacts and the nurturing of existing relationships. It was also the subject of numerous meetings and exchanges of information and ideas between young entrepreneurs.