The city of Ouarzazate is ready to host the 3rd National Ahouach Arts Festival, scheduled from 8 to 10 August, under the High Patronage of H.M. King Mohammed VI. All necessary organisational measures have been taken to ensure the success of this Festival, organised by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Souss-Massa-Drâa Regional Council, the Provincial and Municipal Councils of Ouarzazate, the Provincial Tourism Council (CPT), and the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT). Several meetings have been held recently on this subject, including one held on Monday in Ouarzazate, which provided an opportunity to take stock of the final preparations for this artistic event, which will see the participation of 15 Ahouach folk troupes bringing together some 500 artists from different regions of the Kingdom. According to the organisers, this Festival aims to promote and strengthen Ouarzazate's position in terms of cultural and leisure activities capable of attracting national and international visitors, in addition to valuing this heritage and opening up to regional and national experiences. The 2014 edition of this Festival will be characterised by an artistic design aimed at showing the diversity of this art and its close connection to the daily life of the population (birth, circumcision, marriage, harvest, etc.), through three major evenings that will take place at the majestic historical Kasbah of Taourirt. The planned scenography aims to highlight this famous Kasbah as a dynamic backdrop featuring an authentic setting inspired by life in the Moroccan countryside. The programme for this cultural event also includes a conference on Ahouach with the participation of professors, researchers, and specialists. The Roman theatre of the Taourirt Kasbah will host an improvisation evening for poets of this art who will compete in talent. A photo exhibition of the great names of this art, the places where it is practised, its equipment, and its ornaments is also planned, in addition to a morning session for children. A tribute will also be paid to researchers and artists of the Ahouach arts. The 3rd edition of the National Ahouach Festival, which is expected to attract about 100,000 people including local residents and Moroccan and foreign visitors, is an opportunity to highlight the region's significant potential in the fields of tourism, cinema, oases, biodiversity, and handicrafts, and to promote the major solar power plant project. Ahouach is a word of Amazigh origin, one definition of which is "Houch", which means to dance. It is an art composed of rhythmic construction, dance, and poetry.