• Morocco plans $3.13B in transport investments across air, rail, and logistics.
• High-speed rail to extend south; airport upgrades target rising passenger demand.
• 750 hectares of logistics zones aim to boost regional economic integration.
  

Morocco’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics and the public institutions under its authority plan to mobilize nearly 29 billion dirhams (about $3.13 billion) in sectoral investments, according to local media reports. The plan was outlined by Transport Minister Abdessamad Kayouh before the Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives and covers several key areas, including air, rail, and logistics development.

Air transport: building regional competitiveness

Part of the investment will go toward expanding and modernizing airports by 2030, under a program estimated at 38 billion dirhams. The plan targets the country’s main airports, including Rabat-Salé, Sania R’mel (Tétouan), Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier, and Fez.

The goal is to strengthen Morocco’s airport network and improve its competitiveness as passenger traffic rises and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) pursues its ambition to become a regional hub. The national carrier plans to expand its fleet with 11 new aircraft by 2026, nine Boeing 737 MAX 8s and two Boeing 787 Dreamliners, bringing its total fleet from 60 to 71 planes. The expansion is expected to support RAM’s international network and Morocco’s tourism growth strategy.

Rail transport: high-speed expansion to the south

The rail component of the plan involves 96 billion dirhams in projects, including extending the high-speed rail line (LGV) from Kenitra to Marrakech, a 430-kilometer link with a future connection to Fez. The program also includes upgrades to conventional rail networks and regional services. Funding is being arranged through a consortium involving the national rail operator ONCF, the Finance Ministry, regional authorities, and local and development banks.

Feasibility studies for extending the high-speed line to Agadir (240 km) have already been completed. The ministry says the extension will reduce travel time between Marrakech and Agadir to about one hour, a major step toward improving southern Morocco’s connectivity. A separate 120-kilometer railway project linking Marrakech and Essaouira via Chichaoua is also under study and is about 60 percent complete.

Logistics: 750 hectares of new economic zones by 2028

In logistics, the ministry aims to make 750 hectares of economic zones operational by 2028, with about 500 hectares already secured in priority regions. The southern provinces are expected to benefit from key infrastructure, including the El Argoub economic zone, the El Guerguerat road center, and the Dakhla logistics hub. These projects are designed to boost the economic integration of the Moroccan Sahara and position the region as a regional logistics center.

Through this portfolio of investments, Morocco seeks to strengthen its multimodal connectivity and enhance the economic competitiveness of its regions. With the modernization of its railways, expansion of airport infrastructure, and development of logistics zones, the kingdom is advancing its goal of becoming a major economic crossroads between Europe and Africa.

Henoc Dossa