Tibu Africa sets sail with Mediterranean youth on solidarity-driven Régate4Med

Designed as a catalyst for social transformation, this inclusive and solidarity-based regatta aligns with Morocco’s drive for African and Mediterranean leadership centered on youth, peace, and social innovation. Its objective: to bring together youth from integration pathways, refugees, high-level athletes, and civil society actors around the Mediterranean to celebrate intercultural exchange, active citizenship, and the blue economy.

Under the theme "Unlocking the Potential of Mediterranean Youth through Inclusion via Sport and the Sea", Régate4Med highlights the ability of the new generation to face today’s challenges by harnessing collective strength, self-betterment, and the richness of intercultural dialogue.

Régate4Med goes far beyond a simple sailing race. It unfolds over an intense week filled with workshops, forums, meetings, and challenges structured around four main pillars: sport, professional integration in the blue economy, environment, and culture. Ten crews representing eight Mediterranean countries will take part in this human and maritime adventure:

• Egypt (Together Association for Development and Environment - TADE)
• Spain (Club Deportivo Elemental Dragones de Lavapiés)
• France (E2C Marseille)
• Italy (Associazione Culturale Usamborgia)
• Libya (Rugby 2018), Morocco (AICEED Tangier and E2C Dakhla - Sports Professions)
• Portugal (Rede E2O Portugal - National Network of Second Chance Initiatives and Schools)
• Tunisia (E2C Rafiq)

Two Moroccan delegations from Tangier and Dakhla, along with a crew of young refugees supported by UNHCR, underscore the strong commitment to inclusion and diversity.

In total, 100 young people aged 16 to 25, from second-chance schools or integration programs, will participate, alongside more than 300 youth from Tangier expected in the “Village of Possibilities” – a public space offering a rich program of educational and cultural activities.

The program promises to be both meaningful and intense: personal development workshops, sailing training, conferences on sport-based integration, a major beach clean-up operation, and a Blue Careers Forum featuring job dating sessions open to all Moroccan youth.

In parallel, the intercultural dimension will be celebrated through heritage tours, art contests, cultural exchanges, and festive moments.
 

The goal behind Régate4Med is to strengthen the sense of belonging to a diverse and united Mediterranean community focused on the future. At the heart of this project, the sea is not just a field of competition – it is a vital link, a shared treasure, a resource to protect. 

- Mohamed Amine ZARIAT, Founder and President of Tibu Africa

Through concrete actions, young participants will become ambassadors of the Mediterranean, carrying with them an environmental pact co-created throughout the event around ten sustainable commitments.

This ambitious initiative is part of a larger movement led by Tibu Africa for several years, further reinforced by the launch of its “Tibu for the Mediterranean” division in Tangier during the MEDays 2024. It also sets the stage for the first-ever Sailing World Championship to be held in the same city in 2026 – confirming Tangier’s role as a strategic nautical hub for the region.

A key partner of the event, the Royal Moroccan Sailing Federation, expressed support for this pioneering, high-impact initiative. Its president, Ahmed Bennani Zahouan, stated: "Régate4Med fully embodies the values we stand for: openness, solidarity, personal growth, and respect for our maritime environment. We are proud to support Tibu Africa in this human and sporting adventure that offers Mediterranean youth a unique space to connect, express themselves, and dream big."

Hicham Torkmani, Head of Social Innovation through Sport at UCPA, added: "In 2024, with UCPA, I invited Tibu Africa to participate in the ‘Régate des Minots’ in Marseille to let young people experience the Olympic spirit for a day and raise awareness about the sea. That beautiful moment led to a new ambition. Today, Tibu is bringing the whole Mediterranean together for a week-long educational and ecological journey in Tangier!"

This landmark event is made possible thanks to the support of strategic and media partners who share the same vision for an inclusive and sustainable future for Mediterranean youth. Régate4Med is supported by MedNC, IECD, Tanger Med Foundation, Sanlam Li Ennajah Foundation, Sidi Ali, Technopark, Alsa, and media partners such as Les Éco Médias Group (Assabah, Atlantic Radio, L’Économiste), along with Sportanddev and Casa24.

Through Régate4Med, Tibu Africa issues a call to action for all who believe in a more inclusive, resilient, and united Mediterranean. Institutions, companies, local authorities, citizens – everyone can be part of this collective momentum. 

About Tibu Africa

Tibu Africa is a pioneering Moroccan NGO that leverages sport as a vehicle for social inclusion, education, and youth and women’s empowerment. Since its founding, it has positively transformed thousands of lives across Africa through integrated sports and education programs focused on developing essential life skills. Present in 52 cities across Morocco, Tibu Africa mobilizes over 420 staff members and impacts more than 300,000 beneficiaries annually through initiatives focused on education, employability, and entrepreneurship through sport.