For the first time in years, Morocco will observe Eid al-Adha — the "Festival of Sacrifice" — without its central ritual: the slaughter of sheep. Muslims in the North African nation, Morocco, will abstain from the animal sacrifice ritual due to a royal directive from King Mohammed VI, who urged citizens to abstain from the practice due to the country’s deepening economic difficulties and a prolonged agricultural crisis, according to a report by The Guardian. In a statement broadcast in February by Morocco’s Islamic affairs minister on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel, the king said, “Performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income.” The monarch, who is also the kingdom’s highest religious authority, added that he would perform the sacrifice on behalf of all Moroccans. The North African nation has been suffering the consequences of a six-year drought, which has severely impacted the country's livestock population. Reports suggest that sheep herds have declined by nearly 38 percent since 2016. With supply shrinking, prices have skyrocketed. Last year, a single sheep sold for as much as $600 (approximately ₹51,426), far exceeding Morocco’s monthly minimum wage of $324 (₹27,833). As a result, many families can no longer afford to participate in the tradition. A survey by the Moroccan Centre for Citizenship found that 55 percent of households struggled to bear the cost of sacrificial animals. In response to the crisis, the Moroccan government suspended import duties and value-added tax on cattle and sheep in its 2025 budget to help control prices. Although the king’s directive marks a rare intervention, it is not unprecedented. His father, King Hassan II, suspended Eid sacrifices on three occasions during his reign — in times of war, drought, and under IMF-imposed austerity that removed food subsidies. Morocco, where more than 99 percent of the population identifies as Muslim, has one of the highest red meat consumption rates in Africa.
