STORIES OF
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN
COOPERATION
Our stories are centered on humans and humans only. Our inspiration comes from UfM projects and initiatives implemented on the ground: from partners collaborating daily with us to project promoters and beneficiaries, these Euro-Med cooperation stories aim at giving a well-deserved spotlight to all the actors working tirelessly to make the Mediterranean a better place for all.
Stories are a powerful tool to convey messages and experiences in a simple manner free of technical jargon and endless acronyms. Stories are meant to be accessible and understandable to all, in addition to being entertaining!
We invite you to wander through them and read on. Don’t hesitate to drop us a message if you enjoy your reading, and if a story made you smile, share it on your social networks with the hashtag #MedMeSmile. Help us flood the internet with more positive and uplifting stories on our threads!
Energy & Climate Action, Water, Environment & Blue Economy
Farming in an age of drought: an Algerian innovation simplifying technology and reshaping production
20 March 2026. In the plains outside Mascara, a city in north-western Algeria once known for its fertile land, Mokhtar Bouazza stood watching his family’s fields slowly die. Land that had sustained generations dried up…
Economic Development and Employment, Social & Civil Affairs
Bringing tech skills beyond major cities: a Jordanian answer
From the historic city of Karak in southern Jordan, engineer and entrepreneur Thelal Al-Shamaileh is working to close the digital skills gap beyond major cities. Through Easy Kit Academy, she trains young people and women…
Higher Education & Research
A Euro-Mediterranean generation in the making: Kamilia’s journey
How Euro-Mediterranean universities labelled by the Union for the Mediterranean help shape young people with a shared vision for the region Born and raised in Rabat, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, Kamilia grew…
Opening career paths with AI
In a region full of talent but often short on clear paths, Safaa Ayyad, a Palestinian entrepreneur, knows first hand how easily ambition can stall. Determined to change that, she is using artificial intelligence to…
Economic Development and Employment
Hkmat from Upper Egypt, eco friendly fashion stitched with Euro Mediterranean cooperation
15 October 2025. In a village in the Abnoub district of Assiut, Upper Egypt, a young rural woman is moving forward with quiet resolve, redefining her working life while giving new purpose to fabric offcuts….
Institutional
Usama Sadawi on the politics of rebuilding: why trust, justice and inclusion must guide Gaza’s recovery
Against the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East and other critical issues such as alarming climate trends and widening socioeconomic disparities, the Union for the Mediterranean held an inclusive and participatory consultative session. Co-organised with…
Institutional
Nimrod Goren on Mediterranean dialogue in times of division: why people – not politics – hold the key
Against the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East and other critical issues such as alarming climate trends and widening socioeconomic disparities, the Union for the Mediterranean held an inclusive and participatory consultative session. Co-organised with…
Higher Education & Research
Interview with Professor Mostapha Bousmina, President of the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez (UEMF)
The Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes (UEMF), a flagship UfM-labelled project, is more than a centre of academic excellence: it is a living embodiment of the region’s diversity and shared destiny. Endorsed by all 43 UfM…
Economic Development and Employment
Aïda Kandil is rewriting the rules of the marketplace: turning traditional artisans into digital entrepreneurs
In the spring of 2020, while the world was closing its doors to bustling markets and physical commerce, Aïda Kandil opened a new window—one that offered Moroccan artisans access to the digital economy. But this…
Social & Civil Affairs
Laser focus on sustainability: Guadaluna Chaer’s agro-tech startup tackles environmental degradation
The Mediterranean region is home to a multitude of unique habitats, species, and landscapes. However, environmental degradation is accelerating, impacting our socio-ecological systems through biodiversity loss, increased pollution, water scarcity, coastal degradation, and food insecurity. Our…
Social & Civil Affairs
Astrid Desjobert: From second chances to lasting change for Mediterranean youth
In a sunlit classroom in Tunisia, Italy or France, the air buzzes with excitement and possibility. Over there, groups of young adults gather, their faces alight with hope as they embark on a journey toward…
Economic Development and Employment
Nagla Bahr: bridging the finance gap for a sustainable economic development
The Mediterranean region faces pressing challenges such as environmental degradation, climate change, and economic inequality. In response to these global concerns, the green economy emerges as a path to sustainable development and shared prosperity. However,…
Social & Civil Affairs
Ayah Elarief, spearheading education and female entrepreneurship efforts in the MENA region
In a region where educational systems still have some room for improvement and where absenteeism is at times higher than desirable, Ayah Elarief has an answer: Warrd. The EdTech startup, founded by the Egyptian entrepreneur…
Transport & Urban Development
TransLogMed: Navigating new horizons and connecting continents
Marta Miquel is the Chief Business Officer at the Barcelona-based Escola Europea for Intermodal Transport, promoters of the UfM-labelled project TransLogMed. Evolving within one of the least integrated regions of the world, the TransLogMed project…
Water, Environment & Blue Economy
When the craft is born in Syria and flourishes in Jordan
The below success story from the UfM-labelled Smart DESERT project is a courtesy of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The original article can be consulted here. As the second-largest host country for…
Social & Civil Affairs
Khadija Jallouli: Revolutionizing Mobility for All
Khadija Jallouli took part in the initiative MENA Women Business Club, jointly promoted by the UfM and UNIDO In the heart of Tunisia, a remarkable startup is breaking barriers and revolutionizing the concept of accessible transportation….
Energy & Climate Action
The wind of change: on the making of a renewable energy industry in Jordan
Each year, the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties – the famous COP – takes place, and each year, the popular hopes to avoid cataclysmic climate impacts on human societies grow dimmer. International negotiations…
Social & Civil Affairs
Building a Green Future for Morocco and Beyond
Doctor Fatima Zahra Beraich is no stranger to breaking new ground. In her roles as a chemical engineer, entrepreneur, and mother, she has dedicated her life to improving her community, in Morocco and beyond. Fatima…
Social & Civil Affairs
The present is Female: InstaDeep, when Artificial Intelligence and creativity meet
The female-led Tunisian company InstaDeep is a true success story. Recently bought by the global biotechnology company BioNTech, the deal made history as the largest move in the African Artificial Intelligence sector, for a record…
Economic Development and Employment
Citizens in action: fighting plastic pollution at the grassroots level
When Manar Ramadan and Ahmed Yassin co-founded their start-up Banlastic in Alexandria, Egypt, they had a clear mission in mind: to ban single-use plastic and create a more sustainable future for their community. As residents…
Do you also feel like we don’t hear enough about the good happening in our region? Us too, which is why we launched this hashtag to share positive news happening all over the region. Help us share success stories and brighten up the social networks!
MORE ON THE UFM PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES
CONTACT
Drop us a message if you’d like more information on these stories, and how UfM projects and initiatives are implemented on the ground!
Yasmine Ketfi, Public Affairs Officer
+34 935 214 194
communication@ufmsecretariat.org
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