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For many people, mention Morocco and they’ll immediately think of a movie. That film will probably depend on who you’re talking with – it could be Bing Crosby and Bob Hope; Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in Casablanca; Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt again dashing around Casablanca in Mission Impossible – Rough Nation or Matt Damon as Jason Bourne pursing a villain across the rooftops of Tangier. But Morocco is so much more.

It’s the fastest growing economy in North Africa, according to the World Economic Forum. It’s also the most unequal society in the region, according to Oxfam. It has modern automobile plants in the north and one of the world’s largest solar farms. But it has poverty and associated problems in rural areas.

There’s never been an Arab Spring in Morocco – some say it’s just around the corner; others say it’ll never happen.

Business Matters went to Morocco to find out more. The team of Matthew Davies, Nora Fakim and Stephen Ryan found a country of contrasts. From the bustling commercial hub of Casablanca to the ancient souks in the old city of Marrakesh; from the world’s largest phosphate mine to Africa’s only high-speed railway. Join the Business Matters team on their own Road to Morocco.

Image: The Casa-Voyageurs train station for the new LGV (High-speed rail) line in Casablanca, Morocco (Credit: Youssef Boudlal/Reuters)