Ima president anne-claire legendre strengthens cultural ties in Morocco tour

Anne-Claire Legendre, the esteemed President of the Institut du monde arabe (IMA), is undertaking an official visit to Morocco from June 19 to 24, 2026. This significant trip comes at the invitation of Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication. Marking her inaugural journey to the Kingdom since assuming the IMA presidency in February, this visit is poised to outline a collaborative cultural roadmap between the Parisian institution and Morocco, building upon ongoing discussions initiated in recent months.

The comprehensive six-day itinerary will take Ms. Legendre through Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech. Touted as the first official visit by the IMA President to Morocco, the tour includes a crucial exchange with Minister Bensaid to finalize the joint institutional roadmap. Additionally, the agenda features meetings with leaders of prominent Moroccan cultural institutions and foundations, as well as engagements with various figures from the nation’s vibrant cultural and creative sectors.

This current visit follows a productive encounter held in Paris at the IMA headquarters, where Minister Bensaid was received for the first time since Anne-Claire Legendre’s appointment. During that meeting, the Moroccan minister and the IMA president collaborated on developing a shared strategic plan, with a focus on enhancing cooperation across “future cultural sectors.” Key areas highlighted during their discussions included animation, comic books, the expansion of Arabic language literature, and cinema.

It was subsequent to these pivotal discussions that Ms. Legendre expressed her intention to travel to Rabat, eager to engage directly with Moroccan cultural institutions. Minister Bensaid, for his part, emphasized that this renewed dynamic of cooperation is a testament to the invigorated relations between Paris and Rabat, spurred by French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco.

Anne-Claire Legendre ascended to the presidency of the Institut du monde arabe on February 17, 2026, following the resignation of her predecessor, Jack Lang, who served for thirteen years. Her appointment marks a historic milestone as she is the first woman to hold this distinguished position since the institution’s inception. Prior to leading the IMA, she served as an advisor to the French President for North Africa and the Middle East starting in December 2023, a role she departed to take on her current leadership at the IMA.

The institution now under Ms. Legendre’s guidance was established within a distinctive diplomatic context. The concept for its foundation emerged on February 28, 1980, operating under the moral authority of a High Council comprising representatives from Arab League member states. Morocco proudly stands among the 19 Arab nations that, alongside France, contributed to the funding and establishment of this institution, which was conceived as a vital space for dialogue between France, Europe, and the broader Arab world.

This period of institutional rapprochement extends beyond just the IMA. In March 2026, Ms. Legendre had already met in Paris with Mehdi Qotbi, President of the National Museums Foundation, to explore potential partnerships between their respective institutions. Mr. Qotbi framed these discussions within the context of the “Enhanced Exceptional Partnership” between Morocco and France, a relationship fostered by the leadership of King Mohammed VI and President Emmanuel Macron.

The upcoming visit from June 19 to 24 is set to translate these months of bilateral exchanges into tangible progress on Moroccan soil, further solidifying the strong cultural bonds between the two nations.