Dr. Said Nafai OTD, OTR/L, CLT
OTAM Founder and President
Dr. Said Nafai is the founder and the president of the Occupational Therapy
Association of Morocco. He was born and raised in Morocco. He received his Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OT) from Boston University, USA. He is the Associate Professor of OT in the Master’s Program at the American International College, USA. He continues to work as an OT in a rehabilitation hospital and skilled nursing facilities. He is considered the “Father of Occupational Therapy in Morocco”. He has been working very actively for the last 15 years to make OT available in the Kingdom of Morocco.
He has presented worldwide about the distinct value of OT and he is known for his advocacy to promote OT worldwide. He was awarded by the American Occupational Therapy Association the 2020 “International Service Award” for his outstanding international work. He is a member of the GATE Community, a group that is part of the World Health Organization that aims to improve access to assistive technology worldwide.
Dr. Maryam Fourtassi MD, PhD, Physiatrist
OTAM Treasurer
Dr. Maryam Fourtassi is the Associate professor of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of Oujda. She is a Board Member of the Occupational Therapy Association of Morocco. She is the head of department of Physical Rehabilitation in the University Hospital of Oujda. She received her PhD in Cognitive Neurosciences, from the University of Lyon, France. Dr. Fourtassi is the Co-founder of the Neurocampus platform, for medical students. She is a member of the mental health and disability team in the laboratory of epidemiology, clinical research and public health. Dr. Fourtassi authored and coauthored many published research articles.
Dr. Abderazzak Hajjioui MD, Physiatrist
OTAM Secretary General
Dr. Hajjioui is a physician and a Physiatrist in Fes, Morocco. He is a Board Member and the Secretary General of the Occupational Therapy Association of Morocco. He is a professor and the Head of PRM Department, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco. He is the chair of the research group Psychophysics and Rehabilitation, Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory. Dr. Hajjioui is the author of several articles published in national and international journals. In 2017, he received the National Disability Research and Innovation Awards. He has provided his expertise to Moroccan ministries and NGOs. He is a member of the ISPRM-WHO Committee. He is the vice and president elect of the MENA Spinal Cord Injury network.
Mariam Chrifou BS, OT
MSc Candidate
OTAM Board Member
Mariam Chrifou is a Dutch Moroccan ambitious healthcare professional with love for the field of occupational therapy. She is the alternate delegate of the Occupational Therapy Association of Morocco to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. The core of her interest lies in being of service to others, mostly those whom are most vulnerable. She loves connecting with people to explore their stories with genuine interest. Mariam Chrifou is an occupational therapist based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She is driven to contribute to the development of occupational therapy in Morocco, where the need for this profession is utmost important. Mariam aspires to contribute by promoting occupational therapy among the community and (healthcare) professionals. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam. She is currently pursuing a Master in Occupational Science at the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam (NL), Eastbourne (UK), Zurich (CH) and Naevstved (DN).
Oussima Agzannay MS, OT
OTAM Board Member
Oussima Agzannay is a Moroccan Spanish occupational therapist. Oussima is a Board Member of the Occupational therapy Association of Morocco. She works at Orpea Neurorehabilitation in Madrid, Spain as an occupational therapist with 3 years of clinical experience in neurorehabilitation of adults. Oussima received her Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, Spain and then her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in neurology at Migue Hernández University in Alicante, Spain.
Naima Souidi MS, OT
PhD Candidate
OTAM Board Member
Naima Souidi is a Moroccan Spanish occupational therapist. Naima is a Board Member of the Occupational therapy Association of Morocco. She works as a Quality Control Manager in an orthotics, prosthetics, and seating systems organization. She is currently a PhD candidate in the line of research: health, disability, dependence and welfare at the University of Salamanca, Spain. Naima received her Bachelor and Master’s degrees from Castilla la Mancha University in Spain. Her clinical experience is in mental health, geriatrics, and spinal cord injury.
Abdelfettah Oubaali BS, OT
OTAM Board Member
Abdelfettah Oubaali is was born and raised in Morocco, before he moved to Denmark. He earned his Physical Culture Diploma in 1997 in Morocco. He immigrated to Denmark, choosing to become an occupational therapist. He earned his Bachelor of occupational therapy (B.OT) at Metropolitan University College in Copenhagen DK in 2015. He works currently as an occupational therapist in community setting, he specialized in health promotion, working, pathology, ergonomics and rehabilitation. Mr. Abdelfettah is also certified massage therapist since 2008 in Denmark, he has a extensive experience in manual therapy, physical training, and adult outpatients with mental disorders and physical disability.