The 13th edition of the ‘Mata’ International Equestrian Festival is here
The prestigious ‘Mata’ International Equestrian Festival returns for an exceptional 13th edition, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The event will take place from Friday 23rd May to Sunday 25th May 2025, in the village of Zniyed, in the commune of Arbaa Ayacha, circle of Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Mashich, province of Larache, region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima.
This year's event will be held under the theme ‘Mata: celebrating a quarter century of prosperity and development under the enlightened reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist and glorify him’.
This edition is distinguished by a rich and diverse programme, highlighting a cultural and spiritual heritage of great depth. The ‘Mata’ Festival embodies the living transmission of an ancestral heritage, in a dynamic that unites past and present, tradition and modernity.
Through the symbolism of the equestrian game ‘Mata’, a collective memory is celebrated, in perfect harmony with the values of peace, spirituality, Sufism and universality upheld by Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Mashish, founder of the Machichiya Shadiliya path. This commitment is in line with the High Royal Guidelines.
A cultural space, redesigned with a new format, will host conferences and forums addressing:
- The great achievements of the reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI,
- The universal spiritual reach of the Sufi pole Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Mashish,
- Intellectual, political, economic and cultural issues.
It is an honour to highlight the economic, social and human progress achieved under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
In addition, a fair showcasing local products and Moroccan and international crafts will demonstrate the richness and diversity of the Kingdom. It will bring together cooperatives from all regions of Morocco, from north to south, but also from Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, etc.
This event aims to strengthen cultural and civilisational ties between Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the world as a whole.
Moroccans from all over the world will be our guests of honour, giving them an opportunity to rediscover their Morocco, proud of its history, diverse in its cultures, united in its essence, guided by the enlightened vision of His Majesty the King.
The festival will also welcome renowned personalities and institutions from the diplomatic, cultural, political, economic and media spheres, recognised for their role in promoting the values of peace, love and coexistence.
A special tribute will be paid to authentic Moroccan music in all its forms and expressions, with a view to highlighting the national and Maghreb artistic heritage.
Nabil Baraka, president of the ‘Mata’ International Horse Festival, expressed his deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his high patronage, which is an honour and moral support that encourages the organisers to work harder to enhance the influence of this cultural event.
He also recalled that the festival works to preserve and transmit the capital and intangible heritage of ‘Mata’, perpetuating the work of the dean of the Chorfas Alamiyin, the late Haj Mohammed Baraka, as well as Naqib Sidi Abdelhadi Baraka.
He also stressed that the inclusion of ‘Mata’ on the ICESCO Intangible Heritage List represents a historic achievement, highlighting the horsemen of ‘Mata’ and the mountainous regions that are guardians of this unique heritage.
He reaffirmed the festival's commitment to its spiritual dimension, carried out by the Chorfas Alamiyines and the followers of the Machichiya Shadiliya path, who will call for prayer for peace and stability in the world, in accordance with the universal message of Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Mashish and the enlightened guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He also highlighted the presence of numerous intellectual, religious, cultural and political figures who will participate in the panels.
Nabila Baraka, president of the Alâmia Laroussia Social and Cultural Action Association, highlighted the exceptional media impact of the festival. She noted that the previous edition had recorded more than 100 million views in the media, including 40 million on digital platforms, reflecting the growing interest of both national and international audiences in this unique cultural event.
This 2025 edition will be exceptional in more ways than one, as it will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. It will highlight the Kingdom's major achievements in the areas of culture, spirituality, economy, sustainable development and social affairs. It will bring together delegations from Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Arab world, as well as several international institutions.
On Saturday evening, an artistic evening dedicated to authentic Moroccan music will be organised, featuring artists Reda Taliani, Draganov, Rachida Talal, the Jajouka group led by artist Bachir Attar, Abdou Slaoui, Sara Tiyara and Khadija El Ouarzazia.
Mata, a world heritage site
Around the universal Sufi centre of Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Mashich, in the 12th century, peasants welcomed spring by practising this particularly original game, which requires courage and skill, flexibility and delicacy, intelligence and finesse on the part of those who play it.
It is a game where horse and rider, in perfect symbiosis, celebrate a legendary complicity and above all the ancestral culture of an extraordinary region. The Jebala called this game ‘Mata’.
Even today, and practically every year, the tradition is jealously preserved by the tribes and the rules of the game are scrupulously respected: after the wheat fields of daq ezzra' have been threshed, first in the village of Zniyed, then in others later on, the young women and women of the tribe entrusted with this task accompany them with their songs, their youyous and their famous a'iyous, to the sound of ghaitas and drums specific to the region.
It is these same women who, using reeds and fabrics, make the doll for which the bravest horsemen in the Jebala region will compete, a region where the art of riding, breeding and training horses is a strong cultural specificity.
The horsemen who take part in the ‘Mata’ game must ride bareback, dressed in traditional djellabas and amamas.
According to oral tradition, the winner of the ‘Mata’ game is the one who, through skill and daring, manages to snatch the doll from the other riders and bring it back to his village.
Symbolism of the ‘Mata’ game, ethics and aesthetics
‘Mata’, as practised by the horsemen of the north, is a competition of honour where tactics, cunning, strength and endurance are necessary to win.
The challenge is to snatch the “Mata” doll and bring it back to your village. A triumph that satisfies all spectators.
Beyond victory, it is the pleasure of this communion, the enjoyment and the rejoicing that the participants and the public seek.
It is also the attachment to an ancestral culture through which the sense of honour is expressed, revived and rehabilitated; faith constantly rediscovered; patriotism as a Sufi school, spiritual message and universal value.
All the wise humanist heritage bequeathed by Moulay Abdeslam ibn Mashish, to the Chorfas Alamiyines and all followers of the Sufi path without borders, the Chadhiliyya, to all the inhabitants of this exceptional region, and to all those throughout the world who know how to savour the pleasure of sharing.
In a world shaken by divisions, this moment of sharing is a light that resists darkness, a call for peace, kindness and commitment to a future where harmony prevails over intolerance.
PROGRAMME AND CONFERENCE TOPICS
Under the theme: ‘Mata: celebrating a quarter century of prosperity and development under the enlightened reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist and glorify him’.
FRIDAY 23 MAY
16:00
Reception of national and international guests.
16:30
Reception of official guests.
17:00
Reading of the Quran.
Sufi invocation Salat.
Al Machichiya
Series of conferences in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
17:30
‘Mata’ Festival, village of Zniyed, Moulay Abdeslam Ibn Mashish Circle
Spiritual and legal conference on the progress of the Moudawana (Family Code), highlighting the profound reforms that strengthened women's and family rights under His Majesty's reign and their impact on Moroccan society.
18:00
Opening of the exhibition of local products and crafts
Opening of the children's play area
Presentation of the ‘Mata’ teams of riders
Start of the qualifying rounds of the ‘Mata’ equestrian game.
SATURDAY 24 MAY
10:30
Economic forum at the Palace of Arts and Culture in Tangier.
11:00
Opening of the local products and crafts fair.
Continuation of the qualifying rounds of the ‘Mata’ equestrian game.
Children's play area.
Art gallery.
11:15
‘Mata": a strategic lever for sustainable investment.
Heritage and development: a partnership at the service of the national economy.
16:30
Reception of national and international guests.
17:00
Reception of official guests
Mata equestrian game competition.
18:00
Mata Festival, village of Zniyed, Moulay Abdeslam Ibn Mashish Circle
Series of conferences celebrating the 25th anniversary of the reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Exhibition of Moroccan terroir and crafts, a tribute to the richness of our traditional know-how, supported by His Majesty's vision to promote Moroccan crafts on the world stage.
Moving testimonies retracing the key moments in history and traditions that forged Morocco's identity and highlighting the progress made under the enlightened reign of His Majesty.
20:00
Musical evening
SUNDAY 25 MAY
11:00
Terroir and crafts exhibition
Classifications of the equestrian game ‘Mata’
Children's area
16:00
Reception of national and international guests
17:00
‘Mata’ festival, village of Zniyed, Moulay Abdeslam Ibn Mashish Circle
Series of lectures in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Celebration and testimony of the 25 years of reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Moulay Abdessalam Ibn Machich Centre: the Machichiya-Chadhiliya Sufi school, a universal call for love and peace within all humanity.
17:45
Closing speech
Semifinals and finals of the equestrian game ‘Mata’
Presentation of certificates to participants
Presentation of prizes to winners
Reading of the letter of loyalty addressed to His Majesty King Mohammed VI
