The « Unified Arab Economic Report Published by the Arab Monetary Fund (FMA) reveals the repercussions of the earthquake of Al Haouz on the Moroccan industry. This earthquake, considered to be the most powerful of the century in Morocco, upset the local economy, especially in the sectors directly linked to tourism such as crafts and traditional trades, thus weakening national industrial competitiveness.
According to this report for the year 2024, the earthquake has seriously damaged historic and emblematic sites, especially in Marrakech, a city where tourism is a major economic pillar. “” The tourism industry is essential in Marrakech, where many inhabitants depend on traditional trades for their subsistence“, Specifies the document.
The artisanal production has been particularly affected, with a drop in tourism demand affecting sectors such as jewelry, pottery, textiles, carpets and copper items. These activities, with high cultural value, struggle to recover from this crisis.
In response to this catastrophe, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, like several other donors, granted emergency aid of 3 million Kuwaiti dinars (around 100 million Moroccan dirhams) in 2023 to support rescue efforts .
The report highlights a deterioration in Morocco’s position in the industrial performance competitiveness index, from 64th to 66th place in the world. On the Arab level, Morocco occupies 7th place, behind the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other economies in the Gulf, but in front of countries like Egypt and Algeria.
This index assesses the production structure, the technologies used and the capacity of the savings to produce and export manufactured goods competitively.
-In 2023, the added value of manufacturing industries in Arab countries reached $ 393.3 billion, recording a drop of 7.7 % compared to 2022, stresses the same source, noting that Morocco is among the most economies efficient from the region, with a contribution from manufacturing industries to its EDD estimated at 11.6 %. The highest contributions were recorded in Syria, Bahrain and Jordan.
Still according to the FMA report, Morocco dominates Arab silver production, representing around 96 % of the total with a production of 202.3 tonnes in 2023. In the gold sector, the country is also a key player , alongside Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Arab contribution to global production remains modest, however: 5.7 % for gold and 2.2 % for money.
Despite its potential, the Arabic manufacturing sector is struggling to fully achieve its investment and employment opportunities. The report underlines gaps in long -term vision, infrastructure and adapted policies.
To meet these challenges, Morocco joined the Arab industrial integration initiative in 2024, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in strategic sectors. This partnership, initiated in 2022 by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, aims to stimulate growth in five priority areas: fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, textiles, metals and petrochemical products.
The « Unified Arab Economic Report “Highlights the challenges and opportunities that Morocco and the Arab region face. Although the earthquake has led to significant disturbances, cooperation initiatives and long -term strategies offer encouraging prospects to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the Moroccan industry underlines the report.
