OULMES CITY

Oulmes City: a glamorous city of the Middle Atlas

Oulmes is a small but notable city in the Middle-Atlas lying in Morocco. It covers an area of 550 Km², and is given the epithet of “The Pearl of Middle-Atlas”. It is located in the North-east of the Capital City, Rabat, and is 150 Km away from it, 85 Km away from Khenifra city, 90 km away from Khemisset city, and 90 Km away from Meknes city.

The earliest people: original inhabitants

The earliest people of Oulmes city are descended from the “Amazigh tribes” lived then, and thus they belong to the Amazigh community living in Morocco. Their official language is “Tamazight” (Berber Language). It is said that they came to Oulmes from so-called “Ment”, near to A’glmous (Khenifra Province). Besides, it is thought that these people, the earliest people, belong to Ayt Ou’malou ancestry who came to settle down in Oulmes seeking refuge from the persecution of Moha Ou Hammou Ezz’ayani.

The etymology of the word “Oulmes”

The etymology of the word “Oulmes” goes back, according to what the inhabitants say, to the geographical location of the city itself, as well as the nature of the exploitation of the city. It was called at first “Almis” or “Almas” (the Amazigh equivalent term to refer to the ‘middle’ of the thing); it was called so because there was (as is still up till today) a weekly market in the Tuesdays, whereby people came from three tribes that surrounded Oulmes to buy their needs, or even to sell their goods.

Establishments

· Economic establishments :

Oulmes has got two major economic establishments: Arbor Company and Sidi Ali Company.

Arbor Company: Le Groupe Arbor Holding is a company that was founded in 1947, and it covers an area of 500 hectare. It is a very contemporary company with very modern technologies and mechanization techniques. It is the leader company in Morocco concerning the production and the distribution of fruits.

Sidi Ali Industry: was founded in 1924 in a village nearby called Tarmilat. It is concerned in producing bottles of mineral water (Sidi Ali & Oulmès).

· Educational establishments :

The city contains two elementary schools (Abi Al’fidaa & Abi Al’qassim Ezz’ayani), one middle school (Ennaser), and one secondary school (Mohammed VI).

Oulmes, indeed, is a charming city thanks to the weather which is very healthy, though it’s too cold in the winters and too hot in the summers. The city is charming and wonderful not only due to the weather, but the mineral water it has got as well. Even though it lacks many infrastructure buildings, tourists often conceive of Oulmes as an exciting city to visit thanks to the picturesque mountains it includes. Oftentimes they think that is a fascinating place to visit. Aside from this, it is an ancient city which was established thousands of years ago.



Remember, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!