Morocco’s southern provinces are being positioned as the “new growth hub” at the core of the renewed Moroccan-French cooperation, according to Karim Zidane, Moroccan Minister Delegate for Investment, Convergence, and Public Policy Evaluation.
He made the declaration at the opening of the Morocco-France Economic Forum in Dakhla.
Jointly organized by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the French Business Movement (MEDEF), the forum aims to highlight investment opportunities in strategic sectors like renewable energy, tourism, industry, and infrastructure.
Minister Zidane emphasized the provinces’ crucial geographical role as a “natural link between Europe and Africa,” boasting unique connectivity potential and sitting at the heart of major international maritime trade routes. Key regional projects, such as the massive Dakhla Atlantique port, underscore Morocco’s ambition to create modern infrastructure capable of boosting international commerce.
The forum reinforces the strength of the economic partnership, which is characterized by growing reciprocity. In , nearly a third of all foreign direct investment (FDI) received by Morocco came from French companies. Furthermore, the Minister noted that approximately two-thirds of Moroccan investments abroad are now directed towards France.
This push is supported by the New Investment Charter, spearheaded by King Mohammed VI, which aims to mobilize over billion dirhams (approximately € billion) by . The Charter specifically uses “differentiated incentives” to direct investment toward high-potential regions, particularly those in the South.
Calling for a “renewed, balanced, and resolutely forward-looking economic alliance,” Zidane proposed basing the partnership on three levers: mutual trust, the potential of the southern regions, and Morocco’s deep African roots. These provinces, he concluded, are set to become a “laboratory for joint projects” in sustainable fishing, green infrastructure, energy transition, and logistics.
MK/Sf/fss/abj/APA