With an increasing focus on value-added export industries in manufacturing, Morocco has become one of Africa’s leading countries for industrial FDI. The 2009 strategic plan to bolster six designated segments by investing billions of dirhams and facilitating new investments, has drawn in sizable injections of capital and seen an increase in manufactured production, due to strong performance by the…
Morocco’s tourism sector has undergone a major shift in recent years in large measure due to the implementation of the Moroccan National Tourism Office’s (ONMT) Vision 2020 programme, which seeks to attract 20m tourists by 2020. The programme also aims at raising the country’s “sun and surf” profile, boosting annual revenues to Dh140bn (€12.43bn), increasing hotel bed capacity to 375,000…
Morocco’s insurance market has become more competitive in recent years. It is now Africa’s second-largest insurance market in terms of penetration after South Africa and the third-largest in the Middle East and North Africa after Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Total premiums in 2012 reached €2.3bn, up 8.9% on the previous year. Non-life premiums – thanks to automobile coverage – continued to dominate,…
The Moroccan transport sector has made some great strides in recent years, and projects across the spectrum are ongoing and set for delivery over the next year and a half, in line with the government’s medium-term infrastructure development plans. While major events such as the 2008-09 financial crisis, the ensuing eurozone debt crisis and recent regional political instability have impacted passenger…
Anchored by the port city of Tangiers, Morocco’s diverse northern region has undergone a significant transformation in the past 10 years thanks in large part to efforts to decentralise governance, boost local infrastructure and encourage industrial growth. The crux of these efforts is an integrated economic development plan that aims to capitalise on the region’s location at the juncture of the…
The Moroccan construction sector witnessed a significant slowdown in 2013 due to a confluence of factors, including regional instability and a shortage of access to financing. Cement consumption, which is considered a key performance indicator, dropped from 15.87m tonnes in 2012 to 14.87m tonnes in 2013. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Habitat and Urban Planning continued to help drive sector activity…
Unfavourable weather conditions characterised by cold temperatures and drought took their toll on a number of key crops in 2012. However, better weather conditions and abundant rainfall in 2013 allowed for higher domestic production, particularly in the cereals segment, which produced 9.7m tonnes, up 89% compared to 2012. Morocco’s primary sector still plays a significant role in terms of job creation,…
The 2003-13 royal initiative, the region’s 10-year economic development programme introduced in 2003, has transformed the Oriental’s economy, placing a strong emphasis on local industry, value-added agricultural production, application of new technologies and a reduction in economic reliance on Algeria. The region has many advantages, including its Mediterranean coastline, a fertile agricultural…
As a net importer of energy, Morocco is faced with the challenging proposition of satisfying rising local demand while keeping its import bill in check. As a result, energy independence is at the top of the government’s agenda, bundled with efforts to improve domestic energy infrastructure, such as refinery capacities, storage and power generation, and more efficient use of cleaner energy sources.…
Following rapid growth in SIM card sales and an even faster drop in tariffs, Moroccan telecoms operators seem to have entered at the tail end of the race for a market share of the voice segment. The number of mobile customers grew by 8.73% in 2013, reaching approximately 42.4m. This far exceeded the target set under the government’s “Digital Morocco 2013” strategy. Pre-paid customers dominate…
