The Airline Industry
In a dozen years or so, Open Sky policies have made it possible to significantly increase the number of weekly air links, from 438 to over 1,265 (i.e. +9% per year) as well as the number of tourists by the end of 2018 (12.5 million). In total there are 18 airports throughout the country.
Maritime infrastructure
The Tanger Med Port project was launched in 2002 and construction work on Tanger Med 1 started in 2004; in 2019 Tanger Med 2 was inaugurated making Tanger Med the largest port in Africa and able to rival the port of Algeciras. 4.8 million containers were handled in 2019, up 38% year-on-year and 65Â million tonnes of goods handled. But it is the figures of vehicle traffic that are perhaps the most impressive: 500,000 vehicles were handled in 2019, including 350,000 Renault vehicles for export; 2019 also saw the first exports of PSA vehicles from the Kenitra plant.
In Casablanca, the Wessal project is reshaping the existing port and the coastal road walk, with the construction of a new shipyard, the first lot of which consists of a dry dock, mainly intended for large ships; it is equipped with a 460Â ml quay of which 350Â ml is for repairs while afloat and 110Â ml is for linking purposes and a 450-ton gantry crane.
The port of Tanger Ville now houses a passenger port and a marina with a capacity of 1400 moorings which will make it the largest marina in the Strait of Gibraltar. The passenger port can accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world.
The Railway System and the Advent of High-speed Trains
The High Speed Line linking Tangier to Kenitra and Casablanca was inaugurated on November 15, 2018, by King Mohammed VI; it required an investment of 23 billion dirhams. But the results are in: 3 million passengers by the end of 2019 and an exemplary carbon footprint with 200,000 tonnes of carbon equivalent saved. Not to mention the effects induced by making distances shorter; there is no doubt that the LGV factored in the decision of PSA to settle in Kenitra, in addition to the opening of Tanger Med 2.
Beyond that, the Marrakesh-Agadir LGV project (a distance of 230 km traveled in just one hour), a strong component of ONCF’s 2040 Rail Strategy, is fast advancing and is foreshowing future extensions towards the south of the Kingdom.
The Road Network
With its 57,000Â km, 43,000 of which are paved, the network has become significantly denser in the last twenty years, especially in rural areas through the National Rural Roads Program, which has helped connecting the most isolated areas of Morocco. 1800Â km of motorways connect all major cities (over 400,000 inhabitants) and 85% of the inhabitants live less than an hour away from a motorway.
The Latest in Urban Mobility
Rabat and Casablanca have had a tramway network for several years now, and is growing extensively every year. It benefits large segments of the population and is backed by a dense and bus network being upgraded. In Marrakesh, High Service Level Buses (HSLB) have started to appear. At the same time, urban infrastructure such as cable-stayed bridges, tunnels and the widening of lanes are helping to keep traffic flowing in all major cities. Futuristic projects are being studied, including an aerial transit system in Casablanca; the feasibility of clean mobility (i.e. electric buses) is being assessed; and a manufacturing plant at Tangier Tech, as part of a mega project part of a China-Morocco cooperation.
Renewable Energies
Morocco’s renewable energy strategy is widely known; it is a reference in Africa and beyond, with ambitious goals that are well on the way to being achieved: 42% of the energy mix from renewable sources by 2020, and 52% by 2030. Flagship projects include the Noor Ouarzazate IV solar plant, the world’s largest thermo-solar energy complex and the largest wind power plant in Africa, with a capacity of 300 MW, enough to supply 1.5 million homes.