In Morocco, one of Tunisia's close neighbors, the story is different. By January 12, a Moroccan news headline was asking, "Morocco: Where Are the Riots?" On January 17, Fox News reported

Morocco is the best, safest, and most likely profitable destination for tourism, investment, trade, banking, and industrial development in all the Middle East and North Africa.

The speech was hailed by people flowing into the streets to express their joy, praise for the king, and their loyalty to him.

Upon his accession to the throne in 1999, King Mohammed VI sought to establish an entirely different reputation than his father, King Hassan II. He also wished to establish a basis for the democratization of the country, as well as for the continuation of the monarchy.

Although beginning as one of the poorest Arab nations, lacking oil or major natural resources, and having an illiteracy rate of 87% upon achieving independence from the French Protectorate in 1956, Morocco has engaged in a massive national effort of education and economic development.

Today, Meknes is a thriving city of over a million people surrounding the "Versailles of Morocco." Besides being an Imperial City and major tourist destination Meknes is both a major agricultural center for the region, and a major crafts center.

Meknes was built by a man who sought to outshine the Sun King. Louis XIV of France—called the "Sun King"—was the greatest European monarch of all time.

Then the new king of Morocco crowned in 1999 had a dream of making the beauty of his country one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

Morocco has been a loyal member of the Arab League. However, it has often attempted to serve as intermediary on peace issues.

In this regard, it is worth noting that one of Fes' hotels, the Riad Le Calife, has recently been voted into the "Top Ten Best Hotels in the World" by the hotel review site TripAdvisor.

Evidence of human habitation by ancestors of the present Berbers in Morocco goes back at least 8,000 years, though historical records do not begin until the 12th century BC with the coming of Phoenician trading settlements.

Thus the real meaning of Morocco's official name is actually "The Western Kingdom." In fact, Morocco was long thought of as the western or "last frontier" of the Arab world;