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 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, quoting […] 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
Manufacturing Stellantis to remove Italian flag from Fiats made in Morocco The automobile giant Stellantis will remove the Italian flag from its Fiat Topolino model after being accused of breaking Made In Italy laws because the car – technically a quadricycle – was produced in Morocco. Dozens of the vehicles were seized at the port of Livorno for violations of the law, which insists on strict […] May 22, 2024
Finance EU reveals total aid to North Africa to combat migration The European Union provided €673 million ($718 million) in funding to four North African countries from 2021-23 to help the quartet reduce what it calls irregular migration to the 27-member bloc, official data shows. Last year about 270,000 “irregular migrants” arrived in the EU via sea crossings, 64 percent more than in 2022. Crossings from […] April 28, 2024
Logistics Boeing plane conversion facility to be built in Casablanca A production facility is to be set up in Morocco to convert Boeing 777-300ER passenger jets into freighters. Stratos Industries will build three wide-body aircraft hangars at the Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca as part of a deal between US-based companies Kansas Modification Center (KMC) and Integrated Aerospace Alliance (IAA). KMC will convert up […] April 25, 2024
People & Lifestyle Cairo has most billionaires in Africa, but wealthy are leaving Cairo is home to more billionaires than any other African city, but Egypt is facing an exodus of its wealthiest citizens. The international wealth advisory firm Henley & Partners said Cairo is home to four billionaires, and 30 centi-millionaires – those worth $100 million or more. Most reside in affluent parts of Greater Cairo, including […] April 25, 2024
Renewable Energy Cost of Xlinks Morocco-UK project balloons by a third The cost of an ambitious project to deliver green energy from the south of Morocco to power homes in the UK has ballooned by more than a third to $30 billion. Xlinks First is behind the Morocco-UK renewables project, which would construct the world’s longest high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea power cable between the North […] April 19, 2024
Opinion Media & Advertising AI will free up local creatives for more award-winning campaigns Robots can help, but it's still humans who win the trophies April 12, 2024
Oil & Gas British companies strike deal on Moroccan offshore gas licences Two British energy companies have completed a deal over stakes in two offshore Moroccan gas licences. The transaction between Chariot Energy and Energean, announced Wednesday, involves the Lixus and Rissana offshore licences. The Lixus Offshore licence covers an area of sea north of Rabat of approximately 1,800 sq km, with water depths ranging from the […] April 11, 2024
