Morocco has all the key development factors that will ensure sustainable growth; the wealth-creating sectors are growing, banking/insurance, tourism, export industries, public works, phosphate fertilizers, etc.

The gradual liberalization of foreign exchange and capital markets is accompanying these underlying trends.

Economic openness

Morocco has made the strategic choice of openness and globalization by liberalizing its economy and establishing a legal framework conducive to trade. Bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTA) have been negotiated within this framework. As economic partners, the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union are working together for the forthcoming signature of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

A favorable business climate thanks to 20 years of reforms

The reforms carried out over the last twenty years in the administrative, legal and financial fields have enabled Morocco to be at the top of the ranking of indicators relating to the business environment, for the African and MENA region.

The Country’s Development Policies

Development policies are structured around four major operational plans..

The Industrial Acceleration Plan 2014–2020

An ambitious national strategy with 10 winning strategic solutions:

  1. Creating and facilitating ecosystems
  2. Industrial compensation
  3. Measures accompanying the restructuring of the informal sector to bring it towards the formal sector
  4. Upgrading of human resources
  5. Improving the competitiveness of SMEs
  6. Providing financial support
  7. Making more infrastructures available for rent
  8. Deal-Making Culture for Foreign Direct Investment
  9. International integration of the Kingdom
  10. Developing the African market

“Generation Green 2020–2030” a strategy to consolidate the achievements of the Plan Maroc Vert (Morocco’s Green Plan)

Economic, social and sustainable development goals:

  • Doubling of the agricultural GDP and the exports by 2030: adding value to products, increased investment, development of organic product chains, etc.
  • Promoting the emergence of a new generation of agricultural middle class: better incomes and a stronger social protection program
  • Developing sustainable agriculture resistant to climate change and respectful of soil and water resources

The National Mining Sector Development Strategy, “Mines 2025.”

The strategy covers the entire value chain of the mining industry, from exploration to ore extraction and processing, ensuring its sustainable development.

  • Tripling the sector’s turnover between 2015 and 2025 to 15 billion MAD
  • Increasing tenfold the investment in exploration and mining research to 4 billion MAD
  • Doubling the number of jobs in the sector to 30,000 direct jobs

The national energy policy: Morocco’s commitment in the fight against global warming

The development programs in renewable energy in Morocco aim to develop 3000 MW of additional clean electricity production by 2020 and 6000 MW by 2030 to reach the target of 52% of renewables in the energy mix by that year. MASEN, the Moroccan Agency for Renewable Energies is piloting these many projects.

Morocco and Africa

Morocco’s strategy in Africa covers economic, financial and human fields; it seeks to establish equal, fair and equitable relations.

The financial sector

Banks have been the forerunners in African development. The three largest Moroccan commercial banks Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Centrale Populaire and BMCE Bank (through Bank of Africa) are present in more than twenty countries.

Gas industry

Morocco and Nigeria are engaged in a mega-pipeline project poised to have an impact on the African continent and all the way to Europe. The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline is expected to be approximately 5,660 kilometers long. It would run along the West African coast, crossing 14 African countries.

THE OCP

Africa is at the heart of Morocco’s South-South cooperation strategy. The African continent also holds enormous agricultural potential as it has to provide food for a growing population. 
This is why OCP is implementing joint venture projects in three countries, Ghana, Ethiopia and Nigeria. The investments are calculated in billions of dirhams.

The construction industry

The major Moroccan operators are taking an active part in the development of infrastructures, such as the Cocody-Plateau Bridge in Abidjan, the latest-generation cable-stayed bridge that will link the two communes of Plateau and Cocody. With a length of 1.5 kilometers and a 200-meter high cable-stay, this bridge should improve traffic flow between the two Abidjan municipalities.

Renewable energies

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) has signed agreements with Tunisia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau for the development of their solar energy programs.

Airlines

Morocco is positioned as a true African hub open to Europe and America. RAM serves 29 destinations in 27 countries (on top of its domestic connections).

The telecom sector

Maroc Telecom operates in 10 countries including Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Mauritania.

Human Capital

The Human Index Capital (HCI), published by the World Bank, measures the level of human capital likely to be reached by the age of 18, given the health and education services in one’s country of origin.
Beyond the index, the World Bank has initiated a “Human Capital Project” which aims to help countries improve their ranking on the index.
Morocco has expressed interest in participating in the project and has already designated national focal points in its public administration to collaborate with the World Bank Group on the subject.

Morocco’s Flagship Industries

As part of its 2014-2020 “Industrial Acceleration Plan”, Morocco has undertaken to give priority to key industrial sectors that generate growth and employment.

The Automotive Industry

The Moroccan automotive industry has been in continuous growth for a decade. Great names in the automobile industry have established themselves in Morocco, major manufacturers such as Renault and PSA, but also renowned equipment manufacturers such as Yazaki, Delphi, Valéo, Saint Gobain, Sews, among others.

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The Aeronautics Industry

This industry encompasses a wide range of highly technical and value-added sectors, including wiring, mechanics, boilermaking, composites and mechanical assembly.In 2018, 140 companies employing 17,000 employees achieved a turnover of MAD 17.35 billion. Among them are well-known companies such as EADS, Boeing, Safran, Hexcel, Eaton, Alcoa and Stelia.

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Offshoring

Offshoring is a key sector in terms of job creation for young graduates and contribution to service exports, which are sources of foreign exchange.

Morocco is particularly present in the following areas:

  • BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) ;
  • ITO (Information Technology Outsourcing): infrastructure management, software development and application maintenance.

The objective defined by the Industrial Acceleration Plan (PAI) is to reach a turnover of MAD 16 billion and 100,000 jobs.

Among the main companies in the sector are several world leaders: Cap Gemini, CGI, BNP PARIBAS, AXA, IBM, Accenture, Dell, Amazon, Ubisoft, Webhelp, Atos, GFI Informatique, SQLI..

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Digital transformation as a lever for economic development and social inclusion

Both public authorities, and first and foremost the administration, as well as economic operators and citizens, are faced with changes of which the digital transformation is one of the most profound and rapid.
It involves fundamental issues of sovereignty and security, equality and democracy, but also competitiveness and therefore development.
Morocco has developed over the past decade a quality electronic administration, particularly in the tax (online declaration and payment of income tax and corporate income tax, declaration and payment of VAT …) and social (online tax reporting).
The dematerialization of flows is constantly expanding, and with it the challenges of security and protection of personal data (creation of a National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection created by Law No. 09-08 of 18 February 2009).
Today the national digital transformation strategy, in line with Morocco Numeric 2013, is based on 5 pillars, some of which are well advanced:

  • The profound transformation of public administration
  • The relaunch of the IT investment dynamic
  • Digital governance
  • IT integration and interoperability
  • SME competitiveness through IT.