On 4,000 hectares Morocco’s expanded industrial free zone also boasts modern infrastructure, with well-developed transport networks, including road, rail and port connections.
The Moroccan government is allocating an additional 4,000 hectares of land to expand industrial zones across the country, Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour told the House of Representatives on Monday.
Mezzour noted that the country’s total land area designated as industrial zones currently stands at 13,000 hectares, increased by 2,400 hectares over the past three years through 30 government-backed projects.
For the first time, Morocco plans to create at least one industrial zone in each province. Mezzour highlighted ongoing projects, including two in Boulemane and a joint venture between the cities of El Hajeb and Ifrane, aimed at completing the provincial network by the end of the current government term in 2026.
In a recent major move, the government signed an agreement last week to add 800 hectares to industrial projects in the Marrakech-Safi region, including in Benguerir.
The ministry’s approach involves partnering with regional councils to ensure an equitable distribution of industrial zones and to align each with appropriate local industries.
Mezzour also noted increased investment in provinces including Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima to balance infrastructure development and improve regional competitiveness.
These efforts, he explained, are essential to attracting investment and fostering economic growth in various regions.
In addition, in March 2024, the Moroccan minister announced that the kingdom will create a new 283-hectare industrial zone dedicated to the production of batteries for electric cars.
The zone, which is expected to generate 4,000 jobs, has already attracted three initial investments totaling approximately $2.3 billion, according to Ryad Mezzour. This zone located 100 kilometers south of Casablanca near the industrial complex of the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) group, the Jorf Industrial Accelerator Zone is expected to host the production of electric vehicle batteries and all their components, including cathode starters and the recycling of the “black mass.”
RT/Sf/ac/fss/as/APA