Marrakech serves as the venue of 9th Africa Development Forum

The picture shows street scene in Djemaa, el Fna, Marrakech. [Photo by Liu Zhen/chinadaily.com.cn]

Marrakech will host a number of African leaders as part of the UN's African Development Forum. The forum takes place every two years and is organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Africa's most important policy think tank. This is the first time the event is held outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the ECA is headquartered.

Marrakech is a major city in the northwest African nation of Morocco. It is the third largest city of the country after Casablanca and Rabat. It is well known as "Red City". Marrakech is a magical place, brimming with markets, gardens, palaces, and mosques. Like many Moroccan cities, Marrakech comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls (the medina), bordered by modern neighborhoods, the most prominent of which is Gueliz. Today it is one of the busiest cities in Africa and serves as a major economic centre and tourist destination.