For the first time under Mohammed VI, Moroccans are observing Eid al-Adha without the ritual of animal sacrifice, following a royal directive amid deepening economic hardship and an agricultural crisis.
Eid al-Adha is one of the most sacred days for Muslims worldwide, and Morocco is no exception. However this year, the occasion, which will be celebrated on 7 June in the North African country, is expected to look quite different.
The religious day commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son at God’s command. Muslims mark this Eid by killing a sheep or other animals, sharing the meat among family and donating some meat to those less fortunate.
However, after seven years of dry weather, Morocco’s sheep herds have reduced by 38 percent, which has drastically increased the price of sheep. Last year, prices reached around $600 or $7-7.5 per kilo.
On the other hand, the minimum wage in the kingdom in 2025 is 3,100 dirhams a month ($335), making the cost of sheep out of reach for many.
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In response, King Mohammed VI announced in February through a letter read by the minister of Islamic affairs that families should “abstain” from slaughtering a sheep this year and that the king would perform the Eid sacrifice on behalf of the people.
“Performing it under these difficult circumstances would cause real harm to many of our people, particularly those with limited income,” the letter read.
Such an announcement had not been made since the rule of late King Hassan, who cancelled the Eid sacrifice three times during his reign for similar reasons or in the aftermath of the 1963 Sand War with neighbouring Algeria.
The king in Morocco has the highest authority in the state. As the Commander of the Faithful (known as Amir al-Muminin), he has precedence over decisions including religious activity.
‘Help recover the national herd’
Mohammed Jadri, a Moroccan economist and director of the Observatory of Government Action, a private monitoring organisation, believes the cancellation of the sacrifice could generally be beneficial.
“We know today that the purchasing power of many citizens has severely declined. Therefore, cancelling Eid al-Adha could spare these individuals from spending financial resources,” he told Middle East Eye.
‘[Cancelling the sacrifice would] ease the burden on those who suffered last year, where livestock reached record levels exceeding $500-600 per head’
– Mohammed Jadri, economist
Cancelling the sacrifice would “ease the burden on those who suffered last year, where livestock reached record levels exceeding $500 to $600 per head,” he added.
Small-scale farmers and agricultural workers will be the most impacted by the royal decree, the economist said.
“Rural communities rely heavily on the Eid al-Adha season, especially during dry agricultural years. For many, Eid is an opportunity to make up for losses in farming and crop production.”
Normally, each Eid, 230,000 heads of livestock are slaughtered.
“Our livestock population is not expected to fully recover before 2027, so not slaughtering sheep this year could help recover the national herd,” Jadri said.
In response to the king’s announcement, the government launched an initiative to assist agricultural workers.
Minister of Agriculture Ahmed El Bouari said on 22 May in a press briefing that the government would earmark 700 million dirhams ($76.5m) to restructure the sector and cancel debt owed by 50,000 livestock farmers.
Small-scale farmers constitute 75 percent of those who will benefit from the debt relief.
Female livestock will also be registered and farmers keeping them from slaughter will receive 400 dirhams ($43) in compensation, El Bouari added.
No signs of Eid
Fatima, who runs a laundrette business in Rabat, talked about the emotional and financial weight for those who cannot afford a sheep.
“This is not a normal situation for Morocco, I know many families who cannot buy a sheep this year,” she told MEE, describing the feeling as very “dehumanising for these families”.
For her, the king’s statement signalled strong leadership.
‘If you didn’t know better, you wouldn’t guess Eid is around the corner’
– Abdelali, from the rural Benslimane province
“The king’s words show he is reflecting on the issue in Morocco and acting, he is showing true Islamic values in practice by taking the pressure off people and thinking of the less fortunate. This is a beautiful thing,” she said.
Normally, a month or even more leading up to Eid, huge signs line the supermarket aisles advertising the necessities for the celebration, including sharp knives, grills and meat skewers for barbecues.
Abdelali, from the rural Benslimane province, highlighted the notable reduction in Eid-related marketing and equipment leading up to the event this year.
“I’m in a Marjane chain supermarket right now. Eid tools are barely being displayed, space is minimal compared to previous years, and the marketing is discreet, if not absent,” he told MEE.
“If you didn’t know better, you wouldn’t guess Eid is around the corner.”
According to Abdelali, going against the king’s will to abstain from Eid sacrifice “would cause even more outrage among social circles”.
“The prayers will still be done, families will still reunite, only the blade will remain clean,” he said.
Highlighting inequalities
While many Moroccans appear to perceive the king’s decision as a wise measure, in a country where public criticism of the monarch is rare, others with the financial means have found ways around the decision.
Slaughterhouses in Casablanca and other major cities have been overwhelmed for several days. Sheep breeders and middlemen reportedly use the officially approved slaughterhouses to circumvent the restrictions imposed on the weekly markets where they planned to sell their animals.
As a consequence, some limitations have been put in place, such as increased policing of sheep-selling markets, but no complete ban from the palace has been issued.
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Ahmed, from the southern Souss-Massa region, told MEE his family managed to buy two sheep this year.
On a normal Eid, buying a sheep gives the family a sense of pride. Boasting about the size of the sheep – or posing for pictures with the dead carcass to post on social media – is common. But this year, there is a shift.
Ahmed said his family will perform Eid quietly and will not be sharing pictures.
“This year Eid feels complicated as we know others cannot celebrate, it makes me feel awkward,” he said.
“We’ll make sure to invite anyone who doesn’t have a sheep from our community to our house for a barbecue. We will practise the teaching that it’s good to share, and donate one-third of the meat for charity and one-third to friends.”
This Eid has further highlighted Morocco’s unequal wealth distribution. A 2024 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) index by Oxfam ranked the country the second-worst in North Africa with a score of 73, right after Egypt with 90.
“Morocco suffers from significant regional disparities, as well as an unequal distribution of wealth,” economist Jadri explained, noting the stark contrast between urban and rural areas.
“The government must work hard to support farmers and the rural world. If they are not supported, these populations will resort to migration.”
