This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 7/15/2019

Overview

Modern infrastructure development, such as ports, airports, and rail links, is a top government priority. To meet the growing domestic demand, the Moroccan government invested more than $15 billion from 2010 to 2015 in upgrading its basic infrastructure. 
 

Leading Sub-Sectors

Morocco offers excellent opportunities to U.S. firms in the following segments:

  • Construction engineering

  • Equipment

  • Services


Opportunities

Roads: Morocco has one of the best road systems on the continent. Over the past 20 years, the government has built approximately 1,100 miles of modern roads, connecting most major cities via toll expressways.  The Moroccan Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics, and Water aims to build an additional 2,100 miles of expressway and 1,300 miles of highway by 2030, at an expected cost of $9.6 billion. 

Railway:  Morocco’s railway network includes 800 miles of track, with 120 stations serving passengers as well as freight.  The Tanger-Casablanca 225-mile high-speed rail line was inaugurated in 2019 and a 140-mile extension of the line to Marrakesh is being planned. 
This will require the creation of maintenance centers dedicated to high-speed rail activity. 

Freight rail, managed by the National Office of Railroads (ONCF), focuses on transporting agricultural produce and products, automotive products, energy inputs (coal, fuel and petroleum), construction materials, and chemicals.  Freight activity (excluding phosphates) totaled $50.6 million in 2016.

Morocco’s 2040 Rail Strategy (“Plan Rail Maroc 2040”) is a long-term overall strategy for the development of the national rail network and its various components by 2040. $37.5 billion will be allocated to the budget for the projects that include:

  • Maintenance or improvement projects to boost the resilience of the existing network and improve the performance of services to provide sustainable solutions to resolve current problematic bottlenecks (saturated supply, improved times, electrification, safety, maintenance…);

  • Extension projects for conventional rail lines (maximum speed 100 mph) to cities across the country that are currently not connected to the rail network, while taking into account the economic feasibility of a rail line and territorial inclusion;

  • Extension projects of the high-speed rail network, linking transport hubs with speeds of between 220 and 320 km/h to ensure greater network efficiency.

The city of Casablanca will complete two new tram lines by 2022, together with two rapid bus transit routes. The investments required to implement the four projects are estimated at $1.6 billion. Line T3 will be 14 kilometres in length while T4 will be 13 kilometres long. 
Rabat’s tramway system connects multiple points in Rabat and the neighboring town of Salé and is set to undergo a $560 million extension that will add nearly 14 miles to the current network by 2022.  Other large cities, such as Agadir, Fez, Marrakesh, and Tangier also plan to build tramway/light rail lines.

Airports: Many airport projects are underway.  For more information please refer to the Aerospace section. 

Shipping, Ports and Container Handling: Morocco has 27 commercial ports that handle 92.3 million tons annually in merchandise traffic.  The government’s 2030 port strategy intends to dedicate nearly $7.5 billion to upgrade and expand the 27 ports along the country’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts in building, expansion and upgrade work.

Tourism Infrastructure: The Ministry of Tourism’s Vision 2020 program aims to double the size of Morocco’s tourism industry in terms of number of visitors, foreign exchange earnings, and accommodation capacity, with plans for an additional 200,000 beds.  American hotels like Hilton, Marriott, and others underway have opened in key tourist cities throughout Morocco.  Vision 2020 is comprised of six specific programs: Plan Azur 2020 (for coastal development), Legacy & Heritage, Eco & Sustainable Development,  Animation, Leisure & Sports,  and Domestic Tourism and other niche applications with high added value.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.