Two-Days Celebration Plan for International Day of Happiness AND L'BAHJA
From Marrakech to the World: Launch of the World Happiness Report 2026Two-Days Celebration Plan for International Day of Happiness AND L'BAHJA
Embedded Files
Day 1 afternoon
Day 1 afternoon
Roundtable “L'Bahja” — An Ancestral Value and the Territorial Expression of Happiness in Morocco
Book Signing Event“L’Bahja, une valeur ancestrale”By the Research Group in Happiness Economics
Book Signing Event“L’Bahja, une valeur ancestrale”By the Research Group in Happiness Economics
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Defining and Measuring l'Bahja
Day 2 morning
Day 2 morning
RoundtableMeasuring What Matters: Insights and Debates from the World Happiness Report 2026
Featuring scholars from the UK, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Morocco
Featuring scholars from the UK, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Morocco
Day 2 afternoon
Day 2 afternoon
Emerging Scholars in Well-Being Studies: Doctoral Research Sessions
Goal of the Event
Goal of the Event
The event is organized by the Research Group in Happiness Economics at Cadi Ayyad University, incubated at the Cité de l’Innovation of Marrakech, in collaboration with the Regional Tourism Council of Marrakech, highlighting a shared commitment to research excellence, innovation, and international cooperation.
The event celebrates the International Day of Happiness and the spirit of l’Bahja, a concept initiated by Hamid Bentahar that reflects the cultural expression of joy, hospitality, and collective well-being deeply rooted in the identity of Marrakech and Morocco, while marking the official launch of the World Happiness Report 2026 from Morocco. It aims to position Morocco as an active contributor to the global dialogue on well-being, happiness economics, and sustainable development.
By bringing together international researchers, doctoral scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, the conference will provide a platform to examine the findings of the 2026 report, assess their implications for public policy and territorial development, and explore culturally grounded approaches to measuring well-being. In this perspective, l’Bahja is considered not only as a cultural symbol, but also as a conceptual framework for understanding collective happiness through local values, social cohesion, and territorial identity.
Beyond celebration, the initiative seeks to foster academic exchange, stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration, and promote innovative frameworks that connect global happiness metrics with local perspectives on collective and territorial well-being. This approach highlights how locally rooted concepts such as l’Bahja can enrich international debates on happiness economics and sustainable development.
Global insights. Local perspectives. A shared commitment to advancing the science and policy of happiness. From Marrakech to the World: Launch of the World Happiness Report 2026
The Speakers
The Speakers
Pr. Dr. Oumayma Banouar Professor of Data Science at the Cadi Ayyad University and Head of Valorisation and Technology Transfer at the Cité de l’Innovation in Marrakech. She serves as Guest Editor for scientific journals in data science and is a Visiting Professor at Groupe Centrale and Audencia Business School.
Pr. Dr. Hamza KRIMIS
Pr. Dr. Hamza KRIMIS
Professor of Economics at Cadi Ayyad University, he is a member of the Research Group in Happiness Economics and the author of several academic articles on happiness and well-being, with a particular focus on their economic and territorial dimensions.
Mr. Hamid Bentahar
Mr. Hamid Bentahar
President of the Tourism Council of Marrakech region, Executive Board Member of Mediterranean Tourism Foundation, vice-President of morocco National Tourism Confederation, Vice-President of National Hospitality Association, Board Member of Marrakech hospitality Association, Board Member of National Popular Art Association.
Pr. Dr. Bachir LAKHDAR
Pr. Dr. Bachir LAKHDAR
Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech (Morocco), he is a scholar specializing in public economics, game theory, social institutions, and economic coordination. He is the founder of the Research Group on the Economics of Happiness, a think tank dedicated to the study of well-being and its economic and institutional determinants.
Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech (Morocco), he is a scholar specializing in public economics, game theory, social institutions, and economic coordination. He is the founder of the Research Group on the Economics of Happiness, a think tank dedicated to the study of well-being and its economic and institutional determinants.
Pr. Dr. Martijn Burger Academic Director of the Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organisation (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Professor of Happiness Economics at the Open University of the Netherlands, and Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg.
Pr. Dr. Martijn Burger Academic Director of the Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organisation (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Professor of Happiness Economics at the Open University of the Netherlands, and Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg.
Pr. Dr. Francis Munier Professor at the University of Strasbourg. His research focuses on happiness economics, the economics of innovation and knowledge, and the organization of firms, with particular emphasis on the relationship between innovation dynamics and individual and collective well-being.
Pr. Dr. Talita Greyling Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg and a leading scholar in well-being economics, known for pioneering the Gross National Happiness.today (GNH.today), which applies Big Data and machine learning to measure global well-being in real time.
Pr. Dr. Talita Greyling Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg and a leading scholar in well-being economics, known for pioneering the Gross National Happiness.today (GNH.today), which applies Big Data and machine learning to measure global well-being in real time.
The Venue
The Venue
Meydene
Meydene
M Avenue, Marrakesh, Morocco
M Avenue, Marrakesh, Morocco
Meydene is a premium cultural and event venue located in M Avenue, in the Hivernage district of Marrakech. It is designed to host conferences, artistic performances, film screenings, corporate events, and high-level cultural gatherings.
Meydene is a premium cultural and event venue located in M Avenue, in the Hivernage district of Marrakech. It is designed to host conferences, artistic performances, film screenings, corporate events, and high-level cultural gatherings.
Cité de l'Innovation
Cité de l'Innovation
Abdelkarim El khettabi Venue, Marrakesh, Morocco
Abdelkarim El khettabi Venue, Marrakesh, Morocco
Innovation City (CIM) is a structure created as part of the national strategy Morocco Innovation to bring universities, businesses, and scientific research closer together.
Innovation City (CIM) is a structure created as part of the national strategy Morocco Innovation to bring universities, businesses, and scientific research closer together.
International Day of Happiness and L'Bahja: The Moroccan Experience
International Day of Happiness and L'Bahja: The Moroccan Experience
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