Codename “Morgan”: A look back at Morocco’s acquisition of Pegasus, involving Israel and the United Arab Emirates

Forbidden Stories and its partners have investigated Morocco's acquisition and use of Pegasus spyware, codenamed "Morgan" by NSO. The investigation reveals a complex partnership involving the Israeli company NSO, Morocco's DGST intelligence service, and an Emirati intermediary, FSSYS Morocco, a subsidiary of Al Fahad, which is now part of the UAE government-owned Edge defense group.

"We'd never seen anything like it before. NSO’s attacks were remarkable. They exploited vulnerabilities in Android … and iOS systems."

In 2017, NSO representatives demonstrated Pegasus capabilities at a secret villa in Rabat, impressing Moroccan intelligence officials. An Emirati intermediary, Wassim F., reportedly facilitated Morocco's access to the software and managed reporting for invoicing, a role he denies. This arrangement, which predates the Abraham Accords, suggests the UAE may have financially supported Morocco's use of Pegasus, although this remains unconfirmed. NSO co-founder Shalev Hulio's use of an Israeli diplomatic passport highlights the close ties between NSO and the Israeli government.