With almost five years until the 2030 World Cup, Morocco is already working to assess and develop its basic infrastructure in order to adapt it to the expected growing demand. This issue is one of the most crucial to ensure the success of this major event, to the point that it was the subject of a long session devoted to general policy within the House of Representatives. During this session, the Head of Government was invited to take stock of the Kingdom’s key infrastructure, while taking stock of current projects in various sectors.
Before the deputies, the Head of Government welcomed the progress made by the Kingdom in terms of infrastructure in the space of 25 years. It is clear that Morocco occupies first place in Africa in the field of infrastructure development, with a score of 85.8%, according to the “African Governance Index 2024”.
Aziz Akhannouch affirmed that Morocco has 43 ports, including 14 multi-purpose commercial ports, 22 fishing ports, and 7 ports dedicated to recreational activities. He cited, in this regard, that the port of Tangier-Med has become the largest container port in the Mediterranean Sea basin and in Africa.
The same applies to road infrastructure which has been developed and modernized to connect all regions of the Kingdom and therefore support national integration. In figures, the country went from 80 kilometers of highways in 1999 to 1,800 kilometers currently, occupying 16th place in the world in terms of density and quality of roads, with approximately 58,000 kilometers, including 2,164 kilometers of highways, and with a rate of asphalt roads reaching around 80%.
Continuing on this dynamic, the head of the Executive reassured about the continuous effort made by the authority to ensure the implementation of investment programs in two-way roads, in particular by accelerating the construction of the highway Tiznit-Dakhla. This project which extends over 1,055 kilometers and is intended to strengthen the socio-economic influence of the southern regions of the country.
Nearly 80 million travelers in 2030
In addition, a continental highway project linking Rabat to Casablanca is being planned, with a total cost estimated at 6 billion dirhams, according to data presented by Aziz Akhannouch. The Ksar El Kebir-Nador motorway project, with a total cost estimated at 7 billion dirhams, aims to strengthen the connection with the Oriental region and ensure the link with the new port of Nador West Méditerranée via the motorway network national.
In addition, 2,309 kilometers of railway lines have been built, including 200 kilometers of high-speed lines, 64% of which are electrified, the Head of Government rejoiced in the hemicycle, recalling the railway projects in progress, in particular the construction of the high-speed railway line linking Kenitra to Marrakech, scheduled to be operational in 2027. Added to this is the construction of new railway stations in several cities in the Kingdom, including Rabat. However, the Head of Government did not address the outcome of the electrification project for the Fez-Oujda railway line so demanded in Parliament.
Regarding air transport, the Head of Government indicated that the strengthening of the airport network in Morocco and the implementation of the tourism roadmap have made it possible to achieve record figures in the air transport sector. Thus, the number of passengers exceeded 27.1 million in 2023, compared to 25.1 million in 2019. In addition, a new record was reached with 24.3 million passengers during the period from January to the end of September 2024, recording an increase of 19.7% compared to the same period of the previous year.
To respond to the increase in air traffic expected by 2030, Morocco is working to improve air transport service by increasing the reception capacity of its airports, in particular Marrakech airport which will see its capacity reception capacity increased to accommodate 14 million passengers expected by 2030.
World Cup, lever for infrastructure development
The Head of Government also underlined that the path taken by the Kingdom in the development of its infrastructure has earned it the approval of its file for the organization of the World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. . That said, this event will be a development milestone for Morocco, to the extent that it will attract local and foreign investors and accelerate investments in the field of sports infrastructure, transport, tourism, among others.
Government action is not limited to the development of transport infrastructure, but also basic services. At this stage, the Head of Government reviewed the strategic projects deployed in various areas, in particular water which is placed at the center of national priorities.
Aziz Akhannouch specified, in this regard, that the authority is working to accelerate the implementation of the national program for the supply of drinking water and irrigation water (2020-2027), aimed at ensuring 100% of the needs of citizens with drinking water and cover 80% of irrigation water needs in order to ensure the country’s water and food security.
He recalled that the number of dams increased from 95 in 1999 to 154 major dams currently, with a capacity exceeding 20 billion cubic meters. The same goes for seawater desalination stations, of which 14 desalination stations are currently under construction, with plans planned for an additional 9 new stations by 2030. This will achieve a total capacity of 1, 7 billion cubic meters of water per year, recalled the Chief Executive while addressing the representatives of the nation.
In the same sense, Akhannouch underlined the efforts made to increase public investment, having increased from 230 billion dirhams in 2021 to 340 billion dirhams as part of the 2025 Finance Bill.
Expansion of industrial land to support investment dynamics
Private investments also constitute Morocco’s bet. On this subject, the Head of Government welcomed the completion of 32 projects for the creation and expansion of industrial zones. These projects will provide industrial land estimated at 3,700 hectares, representing an increase of 30% in order to offer optimal conditions for the development of industrial projects, as is the case for the Mohammed VI Tanger Tech project, which is bringing new economic dynamics to the region.
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