A Chinese firm state-owned giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has signed a deal with Moroccan partners The General Construction Company of Casablanca (TGCC) to build the tallest skyscraper in Africa in the capital of Morocco Rabat, Xinhuanet reported on Sunday. CRCC will take responsibility for 60% of the project, which is budgeted at US$380 million, while their Moroccan partners, The General Construction Company of Casablanca (TGCC), handle the other 40%. The 55-storey tower will reach 250 meters high, with the adoption of ecological and sustainable design concepts. It will include offices, hotels and luxury apartments, according to the report. The tower will be the highlight of a large-scale project to develop the Bouregreg valley in Rabat, a key component of the 2014-2018 Integrated Development Program dubbed "Rabat, City of Light, and Moroccan Cultural Capital." The new project also involves the construction of several innovative facilities, including the Grand Theatre of Rabat, the Arts and Culture House, the National Archives of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Archaeological Museum. Currently, the tallest building in Africa is the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg at 223 meters in height. The tallest building in Morocco is the Casablanca Twin Center at a mere 115 meters.

As reported Arabianbusiness, according to the latest data published by STR Global, a total of 119 hotels are predicted to be built in the Middle East/ Africa region this year. Year-to-date, 50 hotels have opened in the region supplying a further 9,663 rooms with another 69 hotels (15,420 rooms) in the pipeline for completion before the end of 2011, STR Global said. During 2012, 131 hotels are planned to open with 36,205 rooms, it added. Among the hotel sectors, the upper upscale will be boosted by 3,733 rooms and 15 projects this year and the luxury segment by 3,052 rooms and 13 projects. STR Global said in 2012, the most rooms are planned to open in the luxury segment (11,123 rooms and 34 projects) and the upper upscale category (10,198 rooms and 31 projects).