Employment Aviation workforce in Morocco to double by 2030 Morocco has announced plans to provide employment for young people by doubling the number of people employed in the country’s aviation sector by 2030. The aerospace industry in Morocco currently includes some 142 companies, employing a workforce of 17,000, and has an annual turnover in the region of $2 billion in exports. Ryad Mezzour, the […] July 24, 2024
Development Morocco to get $657m from African Development Bank Four financing agreements worth MAD6.45 billion ($657 million) and covering areas from forestation to a new university have been signed between Morocco and the African Development Bank. The Guercif-Nador highway project, which will connect the new Nador West Med port to Morocco’s existing road network, will receive MAD2.14 billion in AfDB funding. The highway is […] July 22, 2024
Analysis Sustainability Morocco lures manufacturers to avoid EU carbon taxes Morocco is looking at investing in carbon dioxide capture and storage to attract manufacturers to the country who want to avoid the EU’s upcoming carbon tax on imports. The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will come into effect in 2026, will tax imports of goods such as steel, cement and fertilisers into […] July 22, 2024
Tourism Morocco’s medinas given $800m facelift to lure tourists The kingdom hopes its old cities, with their alleyways and history, will attract more travellers July 21, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Morocco nears 2024 tourism target as numbers surge 14% Morocco has almost achieved 50 percent of its tourism target for 2024, according to a news report. The country received 7.4 million tourists in the first six months of 2024, an increase of 14 percent year on year, Morocco World News reported, citing tourism ministry data. The annual target has been set at 15 million. […] July 15, 2024
Analysis Agriculture Balancing the scales of Morocco’s food exports Free trade access to the EU and UK markets, and a longer – or at least different – growing season mean that Moroccan farmers are producing bumper exports that are helping to reshape the country’s economy around agriculture. However, those exports are drawing criticism from those who believe the country should prioritise its citizens’ own […] July 11, 2024
Opinion Economy Macron gambled and lost. Now bond markets will have their say The election result puts France on a collision course with global capital markets and the EU July 9, 2024
Analysis Trade The changing face of Morocco-Spain relations For decades now, the start of the European school summer holidays has been the time when thousands of Moroccans living in Europe pile into their cars and head south. This summer is no exception. Around 6 million car-loads of Moroccans resident abroad (MREs) travel back and forth across the Strait of Gibraltar during this annual, […] July 8, 2024
Finance FDI into Morocco up 20% after business-friendly reforms Foreign direct investment into Morocco was up by almost one-fifth year on year through to the end of May 2024, a rise attributed to business-friendly government reforms. Morocco attracted MAD16.1 billion ($1.6 billion) in FDI over the period, believed to be the second highest level in the history of the national economy, according to government […] July 8, 2024
Tech UAE telco e& loses appeal in Moroccan antitrust case UAE telco e& (formerly Etisalat) has lost its appeal against an anti-competitive practices compensation payment in a Moroccan court. Maroc Telecom, which is 53 percent owned by e&, is now required to pay AED2.3 billion ($626 million) to Casablanca’s Wana Corporate (Inwi). It was first ordered to pay the compensation by the Commercial Court of […] July 4, 2024
Aviation Morocco to double airport capacity by 2035 Morocco is aiming to double the capacity of its airports by 2035 as part of its efforts to host the Fifa World Cup. The country’s airports serve up to 40 million passengers, and Mohamed Abdeljalil, minister of transport and logistics, has revealed he wants that to rise to 80 million in just over 10 years. […] July 4, 2024
Trade Trade flourishes between Israel and Arab states Israel’s trade with Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain grew in the year to the end of May despite regional tensions and the Gaza war, a think tank report has revealed. The figures, compiled by the Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI), rely on data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. Israel’s trade with […] July 2, 2024
Analysis Infrastructure Morocco struggles to solve its water crisis A seawater desalination plant that opened last month at Sidi Rahal near Casablanca is a major part of Morocco’s plans to tackle the country’s frightening decrease in water supplies. The plant will be built in two phases and is designed to produce 300 million cubic metres of water a year to supply 7.5 million people, […] July 1, 2024
Economy Morocco lowers interest rate as inflation falls Morocco’s central bank has reduced its benchmark interest rate to 2.75 percent, down 25 basis points – the first change in almost a year – amid falling inflation. Inflation stood at 6.6 percent in 2022 and 6.1 percent in 2023 but has returned to low levels, averaging 2.1 percent over the first five months of […] June 26, 2024
Manufacturing China picks Morocco for Europe’s EV battery supply China is intent on establishing a battery supply chain for the European electric vehicle (EV) market in Morocco, a top Volkswagen AG executive has said. The initiative comes as Europe grapples with challenges in establishing its industry to support EV manufacturing. “We don’t have any supply chain. This has to be set up,” Bloomberg reported, […] June 21, 2024
Agriculture Drought pushes up sheep price for Eid in Morocco The price for a sheep in Morocco for the annual sacrifice at Eid al-Adha has increased on average at 10 times the 2.2 percent rate of inflation. A medium-sized female sheep costs MAD4000 ($400) as opposed to MAD3000 last year. This puts it out of range for many families in the country where a high […] June 17, 2024
Infrastructure Project to ease Casablanca water crisis begins Construction has begun on a $653 million seawater desalination plant to combat water shortages in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco. The plant, one of the biggest in Africa, will have an annual production capacity of 300 million cubic metres, serving an estimated 7.5 million people, Morocco World News reported. The project will be developed […] June 11, 2024
Aviation Airbus to expand production in Morocco as orders grow European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is expanding its production capacity in Morocco to meet growing demand for its aircraft. The Airbus Atlantic Morocco Composites plant in Nouaceur aims to build parts for 75 A320 family aircraft per month by 2026. The 30,000 square metres plant, with 17,000 square metres dedicated to workshops, “specialises in producing composite […] June 11, 2024
Manufacturing Morocco signs Chinese deal to build EV battery factory China has announced a second large-scale investment in Morocco’s electric vehicle sector with plans for an EV battery factory to take advantage of access to the European market and a burgeoning automotive sector. A $1.3 billion deal has been signed between the Moroccan government and the Chinese-European group Gotion High Tech to build a gigafactory […] June 7, 2024
Infrastructure Morocco to invest $1bn in public transport Morocco is to invest $1.1 billion to enhance its public transport network in the latest move to improve the North African country’s infrastructure. The plan, announced by the Ministry of Interior and will be centred around the provision of 3,500 new buses by 2029, which will operated in 32 cities. Interior minister Abdelouafi Laftit said […] June 4, 2024
Oil & Gas $25bn Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline gains momentum Morocco’s energy minister has said studies on a $25 billion gas pipeline with Nigeria, which will be backed by investment from the UAE, are almost finished. Work is underway to determine the best route for the pipeline, Morocco World News, a daily news outlet, reported, quoting Leila Benali. The front-end engineering design (Feed) studies cover […] May 31, 2024
Economy AfDB launches $13bn plan to support Moroccan economy The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched its €12 billion ($13 billion) five-year strategic roadmap to support Morocco’s economic growth. The new strategy aligns with the country’s new development model until 2035 and will strengthen Morocco’s economic competitiveness and resilience, sustainable growth, and consolidating economic and social inclusion dynamics, the bank said. “This new strategy […] May 28, 2024
