The municipality of Tangiers has optimised its business and leisure tourism offerings to match increasing international demand, benefitting from its proximity to Morocco’s major source markets in Europe, its breadth of cultural and historical tourism products and the rising presence of large multinationals. GROWING PLANS: In 2013 a regional development plan (contrat programme régional,…
While the successful implementation of the Tangiers-Metropolis programme has played a key role in boosting the city’s development, a number of large-scale projects made crucial advances in 2017. Moving forward it is the construction, expansion and modernisation of roads, rail links, hospitality infrastructures and ports that continue to establish Tangiers’ position as a diversifying smart…
Faced with a downturn in visitors from traditional source markets located in Europe, in 2015 the Moroccan government adopted a series of measures aimed at diversifying its source markets, which included the creation of air connections to new destinations and the rollout of targeted travel promotion initiatives. EMERGING MARKETS: Non-traditional source markets represented an important source…
Demand for electricity in Morocco has grown rapidly in recent years as a result of steady economic development. Estimates suggest that the country’s installed generation capacity will have to be tripled in order to meet rising demand, which has expanded by an estimated 6-7% annually in recent years. The primary challenge lies in determining how to simultaneously increase electricity supply…
For up to a year in 2015 and 2016 Moroccans were prevented from making free voice calls using voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) apps, which have become a key communication tool across most telecoms markets. It was a contentious decision that led to vociferous objections among consumers. By November 2016 the ban was reversed and the use of VoIP apps was permitted. The reversal was welcomed…
As Morocco’s main urban centres become increasingly congested in the face of population growth, economic development and migration from rural areas, the need for improved urban transport systems has become more acute. Authorities have reacted by ramping up investment policy interventions in recent years. Notable projects include new or extended tram systems in Casablanca and Rabat, the rollout…
A large part of Morocco’s ability to post stable growth rates over the past several years has been its capacity to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). An influx of investment has translated into new industrial developments, telecommunications expansion, tourism projects, energy production and infrastructure builds. Although the amount of FDI inflows registered a small reduction in 2016…
With an emphasis on diversifying its commercial partners, Morocco’s African strategy has sought to raise the kingdom’s political and economic profile, and extending its clout across the continent. Over the past decade, Moroccan investments in several African countries have been channelled towards financial services, industrial production and construction. Much of this economic drive has…
Galvanising the competitiveness of Moroccan firms is an important component of modernising the economy and boosting job creation. While there have been improvements, the adoption of innovation programmes and the establishment of a viable support system for entrepreneurs and start-ups have lagged, in part due to the regulatory environment. The 2017 Global Innovation Index (GII), jointly published…
Given its traditional dependence on energy imports, and agricultural volatility’s significant impact on economic performance, Morocco has witnessed long periods of fiscal imbalances. This is set to change, however, as structural improvements to the economy, coupled with a reduction in international oil prices, have helped the authorities commit to fiscal discipline by enacting a set of key…
