Paris — Morocco stands today as a leader in terms of infrastructure quality in Africa, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE) Ali Seddiki stated.
Speaking at a conference on the opening day of Paris Infraweek (November 4-8), one of Europe's leading events devoted to infrastructure financing, Seddiki noted that since the accession to the throne of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom has made exceptional progress in developing its infrastructure.
Morocco, he said, is "ranked first for infrastructure quality in Africa". Thanks to strategic investments in the port, rail, road, air and digital sectors, the Kingdom offers an attractive environment for cutting-edge companies and strengthens its global connections, Mr. Seddiki emphasized at the conference on the theme: "Morocco-France-Infrastructure: towards new partnership models".
In this context, he pointed out that the New Development Model (NMD) sets out an ambitious roadmap for Morocco to 2035, aimed at creating "inclusive and sustainable growth".
The Kingdom aspires to bolster regional connectivity through the expansion of road, rail and port networks, he said, emphasizing in particular the importance of improving sustainable water management and developing new renewable energy capacities.
Morocco is committed to accelerating its energy transition, targeting 62% of its energy capacity to be from renewable sources by 2030, and developing infrastructure to support green hydrogen and batteries, AMDIE's DG noted.
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Emphasizing the crucial role of private investment for development, Seddiki pointed out that from 2011 to 2021, Morocco has stood out thanks to its dynamism in public-private partnerships (PPP), with nearly 12 billion euros in cumulative transactions.
As part of the roll-out of the new investment charter, a portfolio of almost 100 PPP projects valued at nearly 14 billion euros is being deployed in sectors such as transport, water, waste management, health and education.
In addition, the Moroccan official noted that preparations for the 2030 World Cup also represent a catalyst for modernizing sports infrastructure, with a budget of 5 billion euros earmarked for projects in connection with this global competition, dedicated in particular to building and modernizing stadiums, as well as improving transport infrastructure.
"We are co-hosting this World Cup with our European partners, so we can co-write the Kingdom's new phase of socio-economic progress, and enjoy Morocco's Era together," Seddiki concluded.
Held by the French Ministry of Economy and Finance and Paris Europlace (an organization representing the French capital's financial center), Paris Infraweek brings together some 2,500 participants each year, from across the sector's ecosystems. Its aim is to decipher the latest trends in infrastructure development and financing, while fostering the creation of partnerships and cooperative ventures on both industrial and financial levels.
The theme of this year's edition "Infrastructure driving the global decarbonization" focuses on the key role they play in the ecological and digital transition of economies, as well as in their contribution to green reindustrialization.
