Morocco's Historic Eurovision Debut in 1980

At the 25th Eurovision Song Contest held in The Hague, Netherlands, Morocco participated for the first and only time in the contest's history. The country's entry was "Bitakat Hob" ('Love Card'), performed by Samira Bensaïd, marking the first appearance of the Arabic language on the Eurovision stage.

About the Song "Bitakat Hob"

With music composed by Abdel Ati Amenna and lyrics by Malou Rouanne, the song was performed entirely in Arabic and remains unique in this regard at Eurovision. Samira's lyrics send a heartfelt love card to the world, expressing a desire for unity free from discrimination and hatred.

Eurovision 1980 Performance and Voting

The contest took place at the Nederlands Congresgebouw on 19 April 1980, featuring 19 countries. Instead of video postcards, each participant was introduced with actual photographs; Morocco's postcard showed Samira at Scheveningen Harbour in The Hague, introduced by Mohammed Bouzidi.

Only Italy awarded points to Morocco, giving "Bitakat Hob" 7 points. Morocco's jury notably awarded their 12 points to Türkiye and did not give any points to the winning Irish song, What's Another Year by Johnny Logan. Morocco ultimately placed 18th out of 19, second-to-last ahead of Finland.

Legacy of Samira Bensaïd

After Eurovision, Samira Bensaïd, known now as Samira Said, went on to become one of the most successful artists in the Arabic music world, earning numerous awards and releasing some of the bestselling Arabic albums across decades. She has maintained a connection to Eurovision through occasional performances of "Bitakat Hob," including a recent rendition with a children's choir at the 2024 Mawazin festival.

Morocco's Eurovision Status

Though Morocco has not returned to Eurovision since 1980, its broadcaster RTM (now SNRT) remains a member of the European Broadcasting Union.