Immediately after the visit of H.M. King Mohammed VI to the Medina of Tetouan, several worksites were opened within the old framework of the Medina affecting the neighbourhoods, squares and other dependencies of the city of "Sidi Mandri" where more than 30,000 inhabitants live. With a budget of 315 million dirhams, this major upgrading of the Medina of Tetouan will be carried out thanks to the contribution of the Ministries of Culture, Tourism, Trade and Industry, in addition to several private companies.

As for the built environment and its integration into the overall context of the existing Andalusian heritage, it is the Ministry of Housing and Al Omrane that will take care of the execution while taking into account the situations of more than three hundred old houses and dwellings that are threatening to collapse.

All these delicate and important operations must be carried out while also taking into account the riches and historical values of the Medina of Tetouan, which contains architectural alignments and Moorish Andalusian styles that date back several centuries. But one of the most important aspects is that reserved for sanitation, drinking water, the low and medium voltage network and the renewal of the network and public lighting cabling, the cleaning and dredging of water sources, notably the groundwater known in Tetouan as "Skoundou".

As for the historical assets and potential of the heritage of the Medina of Tetouan, the work will have to be supervised by the Ministries of Tourism and Culture, which will have to flesh out the values of the entire subsoil of the Medina where one can contemplate the "mtamar" or silos, the shops, the prisons, the church… finally a whole bunch of underground galleries that sheltered the inhabitants in times of war or conflict.

Also, the rehabilitation of the "sahat" or squares, arcades and towers will be carried out, which will be harmonised into new green spaces and car parks and urban furniture capable of highlighting the Andalusian character of the entire Medina.

This major upgrading operation will be closed in 2014 by giving it an unprecedented tourist vocation, by creating festivals, artistic, commercial and artisanal activities in these different areas of the Medina of "Sidi Mandri" which remains on the lookout for Moroccan and Andalusian visitors.

As for the socio-economic facilities planned in this ancestral city, it is necessary to recall the rehabilitation of Dar Chabab Abdelkhalak Torres and the Women's Club, the construction of a new health centre and the youth centre. Three other centres will be built by the National Mutual Aid and will be intended for the elderly, women in difficulty, etc.

It is within the framework of good consultation between the authorities, the elected officials and the various departments that the upgrading work of the Medina of Tetouan is going well and is being carried out according to the rules of the art, following the High personal instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI who attaches particular interest to this part of the Kingdom.

-* The Medina of Tetouan, dating back more than seven centuries, is considered a universal heritage of humanity.

-* More than 30,000 inhabitants coexist with the Andalusian heritage of the Medina.

-* With a budget of 315 million dirhams, the upgrading work will continue until 2014.

-* The Medina of Tetouan is an added value to national and international tourism.