Fuel prices in Morocco have continued their downward trend since August. This Saturday, the liter of gasoline recorded a drop of 30 cents at various stations across the country, while the price of diesel remained unchanged.
Price update in November
Fuel distributors in Morocco applied this reduction at the start of the second half of November, after a previous update at the beginning of the month, where only diesel saw its price decrease by 20 cents.
Since August, this is the fifth drop in gasoline prices in less than four months. The last increase dates back to the beginning of July, with an increase from 16 to 33 cents, raising concerns at the time about a repeat of the “summer 2021 scenario”.
Current prices at stations
- Price of diesel in Rabat: 11,30 dirhams/litre
- Gasoline prices in Rabat: 13,49 dirhams/litre
These prices vary depending on the city, in particular because of their proximity to the ports where imported fuel is received. Since the cessation of activities at the national refinery SAMIR, Morocco has been entirely dependent on imported refined oil.
International context and limited impact
Recent tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Iran, have not significantly influenced fuel prices in Morocco. On the other hand, the global market saw a slight decline, with Brent futures down 2.09%, reaching $71.04 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate futures down 2.45%, at 76 .02 dollars.
General trend
Since August, prices have steadily decreased:
- August : Drop of 25 to 30 cents per liter.
- September : Reduction of 46 cents for gasoline and 30 cents for diesel.
- October : New reduction of 30 cents for both products.
- November: Reduction of 20 cents for diesel at the start of the month, and 30 cents for gasoline in mid-November.
These adjustments reflect a certain stability of the global oil market and the effort of distributors to reflect these fluctuations in consumer prices.
To mitigate the effects of variations in fuel prices on the purchasing power of citizens, the government has also introduced specific financial assistance for freight and passenger transporters, covering various categories such as taxis, buses, and trucks.
Across Africa, Morocco ranks fourth among countries with the highest fuel prices, surpassed only by nations like the Central African Republic, Senegal, Seychelles and Zimbabwe.
This position is partly explained by the country’s heavy dependence on fuel imports, as it does not have local oil resources. Unlike producing countries, Morocco is therefore fully subject to price increases on international markets, without the shock absorbers that national production could offer.
