Opinion Economy The hare and the tortoise of Arab economic reform Saudi Arabia speeds ahead and Morocco climbs steadily. Each has lessons to share June 16, 2025
Aviation Boeing and Airbus vie for Royal Air Maroc deal Royal Air Maroc is nearing a deal with Boeing for dozens of jets to renew its fleet, though Europe’s Airbus is preparing to gain a rare foothold with a smaller order for 20 A220 jets, industry sources said on Wednesday. Royal Air Maroc has been in talks for over a year to renew its virtually all-Boeing fleet and is expected to stick with its […] June 16, 2025
Tech Work on Morocco’s 500MW data centre to start this year A consortium led by South Korea’s Naver and US-based Nvidia will build an artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in Morocco to serve the Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) region. Other partners include London-headquartered Nexus Core Systems and Kenya-based Lloyd Capital, as reported by Business Korea newspaper. The consortium aims to construct a 500 megawatt […] June 16, 2025
Transport Tesla enters Morocco ahead of 2030 World Cup US multinational automotive company Tesla has reportedly officially entered the Moroccan market, in a bid to take advantage of surging business demand ahead of its co-hosting of the Fifa 2030 World Cup. The new company, named Tesla Morocco, was established on May 27 by two Dutch business entities, one called Tesla International (which serves as a […] June 13, 2025
Manufacturing Morocco imposes duties on Egyptian PVC imports Morocco has reportedly imposed temporary anti-dumping duties on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) imports from Egypt. The tariffs, which came into effect last week, range between 74.87 percent and 92.19 percent, Morocco World News reported, citing the customs and indirect tax administration. The move follows an investigation launched on November 27, 2024 at the request of SNEP, […] June 9, 2025
Manufacturing Morocco aims to double EV production capacity Morocco aims to increase its electric vehicle (EV) production capacity by more than half by the end of 2025, as part of efforts to promote green mobility and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. EV production is likely to reach 107,000 by the end of this year, an increase of 53 percent year on year, […] June 6, 2025
Aviation Disputed region to get new airport for Morocco’s World Cup Morocco has unveiled plans to build a new civilian airport in the disputed Western Sahara as part of a massive infrastructure development programme ahead of the 2030 Fifa World Cup which it co-hosts with Spain and Portugal. Transport Minister Abdul Samad Qayouh disclosed the proposed plan for the airport in Boujdour city during a parliament […] June 5, 2025
Retail France’s Casino Group to open 210 stores in Morocco French convenience store retailer Casino Group will open 210 stores in Morocco over the next decade as part of its international expansion strategy. The company has partnered with Morocco’s H&S Invest Holding to open Franprix and Monoprix branded outlets, the companies said in a joint statement. Franprix specialises in urban convenience stores, while Monoprix provides […] May 28, 2025
Renewable Energy Morocco state company gets $340m for energy transition Moroccan state-run utility company ONEE has secured €300 million ($340 million) in funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and German bank KfW to support renewable energy integration into the national grid. The financing package comprises €170 million from the EIB and €130 million from KfW. The fund will also be used to expand the national […] May 26, 2025
Manufacturing China’s BTR targets $1bn revenue from Moroccan plants Chinese electric battery producer BTR New Material Group expects revenues of $1.2 billion from its Moroccan factories after production starts next year, according to a media report. Production at the Chinese company’s plants in the north of the country is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026, general manager Peter Yang told Asharq News. […] May 23, 2025
Infrastructure Taqa to invest in Morocco’s energy and water security The Casablanca-listed subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s Taqa has agreed to develop multi-billion-dollar large-scale power and water projects in Morocco along with local partners, according to a statement. Taqa Morocco Group, Nareva, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morocco’s Al Mada Group, and the sovereign Mohammed VI Investment Fund signed agreements with the Moroccan government and the Office National de […] May 20, 2025
Renewable Energy Morocco reports growth in power production A surge in investment has boosted Morocco’s power generation by nearly 5 percent over the past four years as the North African nation pushed ahead with an electricity expansion strategy to higher demand, according to its energy minister. In early 2025, Morocco produced nearly 12 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, including around 5.4GW of renewable energy, […] May 15, 2025
Energy Final decision to be made on Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline A final investment decision on the $25 billion Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline will be taken by the end of 2025, a Moroccan minister has confirmed. A special purpose company is being created to oversee the project’s implementation, Morocco World News reported, citing Leila Benali, minister of energy transition and sustainable development, as saying in Morocco’s parliament. […] May 15, 2025
Markets Morocco aims to reclaim its emerging market status Morocco’s stock exchange is set to introduce derivatives trading to reclaim its emerging market status after a 12-year wait. Centrally cleared instruments, including interest rate and single stock futures, will attract a deeper pool of investors, Bloomberg reported quoting Casablanca Exchange CEO Tarik Senhaji. He said the move will help local companies raise funding quickly and […] May 9, 2025
Infrastructure Morocco to break ground on Casablanca airport terminal in June Construction of a new terminal at Casablanca airport is to begin next month after local engineering company Stam won a $29 million earthworks contract. Morocco is investing $1.5 billion in the terminal at Mohammed V International Airport, part of a massive construction drive as the country prepares to co-host the Fifa World Cup in 2030. […] May 8, 2025
Banking and Finance Egypt fintech Money Fellows to expand across North Africa Money Fellows, a Cairo-based startup that digitises the so-called Middle East jamiyya savings model, has raised $13 million to expand across North Africa and beyond, the company has announced. Jamiyya, which is also known as sanduk, is part of the Rotating Savings and Credit Association (Rosca) technique whereby a group of people agrees to contribute […] May 7, 2025
Trade Morocco’s trade deficit widens on import surge Morocco’s trade deficit widened in the first quarter after a surge in imports, the economy and finance ministry reported. The shortfall grew by nearly a fifth, or 17 percent, to MAD71.6 billion ($7.8 billion) in the three months to March 31, compared with MAD61 billion in the same period last year, ministry data this week […] May 6, 2025
Tax Tax incentives for Morocco stadium construction bids Morocco is offering tax incentives of up to 30 percent, as it looks to attract private sector partners for large scale projects such as the infrastructure needed ahead of its co-hosting of the World Cup in 2030. “Morocco offers incentives that can reach up to 30 percent of the total investment amount,” Karim Zidane, Morocco’s […] May 5, 2025
Economy Morocco reports fiscal surplus in first quarter An increase in revenues on the back of higher direct taxes turned a projected fiscal deficit in Morocco into a surplus in the first quarter of 2025, according to official data. Revenues swelled by a fifth after direct taxes increased by 40 percent and indirect taxes grew by 10 percent, the General Treasury said. A […] May 2, 2025
Transport Morocco launches 430km high-speed train project Morocco has started construction of the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail line in the capital city of Rabat. This phase will add 430 kilometres of high-speed rail connecting Kenitra (an industrial centre on the coast in north-western Morocco) to the country’s economic hub, Casablanca, and further south to the historic city of Marrakech, serving the airports of […] April 28, 2025
Oil & Gas Morocco invites bids to build its first LNG plant Morocco has invited companies to bid to build the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal as it seeks to diversify its sources of fuel, Morocco World News reported. A gas pipeline will also be built to link the terminal at Nador West Med Port on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast to the Maghreb Europe Gas Pipeline, […] April 25, 2025
Oil & Gas Morocco and Nigeria agree terms for $25bn gas pipeline Morocco and Nigeria have agreed to create a joint venture to manage a long-planned $25 billion pipeline which will ship gas to Europe, a Moroccan minister has said. Leila Benali, minister of energy transition and sustainable development, told Morocco’s parliament that a floating gas storage terminal would also be installed at Nador on the Mediterranean […] April 24, 2025