Assessment, ambitions and challenges to take up

While the digital transition is positioning itself as a strategic lever for global economic development, Morocco is intensifying its efforts to accelerate its digital transformation. During a speech in Parliament on Monday, Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, responsible for Digital Transition and Administration Reform, highlighted the performances, ambitions and obstacles encountered in this crucial area.

The outsourcing of services stands out as a key driver of the Moroccan digital economy. In 2023, exports linked to this sector generated 17.9 billion dirhams, accompanied by the creation of 141,000 jobs, a significant increase of 41,000 positions compared to 2021. These performances reflect, according to the government official, the attractiveness growth of Morocco for international investors.

Strategic partnerships have recently been established, including agreements that are expected to create 3,300 additional jobs and the opening of three new businesses from 2024, generating 1,800 positions. These initiatives are part of a 2024-2030 program contract, which aims to create 130,000 jobs by 2030, further consolidating the place of this sector in the national economy.

Aware of the central role of start-ups in economic and technological development, the Moroccan government is implementing an ambitious strategy to structure a national ecosystem conducive to their emergence and international influence. This approach is based on two essential pillars.

On the one hand, a national program aims to strengthen the training of talents in the digital field. The objective is to increase the number of graduates in information technology, from 8,000 to 22,500 per year by 2027. To do this, 183 new training programs will be deployed in 12 universities across the Kingdom. , thus meeting the growing need for specialized skills.

On the other hand, professional requalification constitutes a key axis of this strategy. The Job Indec pilot program, launched in 2023-2024, made it possible to train 1,000 young people, 73% of whom quickly entered the job market. Building on this success, the government aims to extend this initiative to train 15,000 additional young people by 2026, thus promoting access to professional opportunities in a growing sector.

At the heart of digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) occupies a central place in Morocco’s strategic vision. The Kingdom, adhering to the UNESCO recommendation on the ethics of AI, has set up a dedicated commission to develop a national roadmap. The aim is to ensure ethical and efficient integration of this technology, both in the public and private sectors.

Despite the progress made, tensions remain on questions of fairness and transparency, particularly in the organization of public competitions. The minister highlighted the efforts undertaken, such as the use of the public employment platform, which has made it possible to organize 27,000 competitions since 2020. However, certain criticisms persist.

For their part, opposition deputies denounced the digital abuses facilitating cheating, as well as the absence of innovative measures to guarantee the integrity of the competitions. These controversies, exacerbated by recent events, such as that of lawyers’ examinations, were also fueled by MPs, who criticized the static format of ministerial responses.