At the confluence of Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, Morocco seeks to transform itself into a regional business hub by leveraging its geographically strategic location, political stability, and world-class infrastructure to expand as a regional manufacturing and export base for international companies. Morocco actively encourages and facilitates foreign investment, particularly in export sectors like manufacturing, through positive macro-economic policies, trade liberalization, investment incentives, and structural reforms. The Government of Morocco implements strategies aimed at boosting employment, attracting foreign investment, and raising performance and output in key revenue-earning sectors, with an emphasis placed on value-added industries such as renewables, automotive, aerospace, textile, pharmaceuticals, outsourcing, and agro-industry.

As part of the Government’s development plan, Morocco continues to make major investments in renewable energy and is on track to meet its stated goal of 52 percent total installed capacity by 2030. The New Development Model , an overarching plan for economic reform released in April of 2021, lays out the country’s ambition to increase the share of renewable energy in total energy consumption from 19.5 percent in 2021 to 40 percent by 2035. Opportunities for green investment include smart grids, green hydrogen, energy storage, and renewable energy.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD)  World Investment Report 2022  , Morocco attracted the ninth-most foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa in 2021. Inbound FDI rose by 52 percent in 2021 to $2.2 billion, vice $1.7 billion in 2020 and 2019 and a 2018 peak of $3.6 billion. France, the United Arab Emirates, and Spain hold a majority of FDI stocks. Manufacturing attracted the highest share of FDI stocks, followed by real estate, telecommunications, tourism, and energy and mines. Morocco continues to orient itself as the “gateway to Africa,” and expanded on this role with its return to the African Union in January 2017 and the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), which entered into force in 2021. In June 2019, Morocco opened an extension of the Tangier-Med commercial shipping port, making it the largest in Africa and the Mediterranean; the government is developing a third phase for the port which will increase capacity to five million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Tangier is connected to Morocco’s political capital in Rabat and commercial hub in Casablanca by Africa’s first high-speed train service. However, weak intellectual property rights enforcement, inefficient government bureaucracy, corruption, and the slow pace of regulatory reform remain challenges.

In 2022, Morocco introduced a series of reforms to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing legislation, regulations, and criminal penalties to address the weaknesses identified when Morocco was placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list” of countries subjected to increased monitoring due to deficiencies in anti-money laundering and terrorist financing compliance in 2021. As a result of these reforms, in February 2023, Morocco was taken off the FATF grey list.

August 25, Morocco has experienced a significant 40% drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2023, receiving approximately MAD 19 billion ($1.9 billion) compared to MAD 31.4 billion ($3.14 billion) in 2022. Despite this setback, the Moroccan government remains optimistic, emphasizing efforts to diversify investment sources and modernize the economy.

August 25, Recently, French consulting firm Ipsos conducted an online survey to understand the purchasing habits of Moroccans. 500 netizens aged over 18 from different cities in Morocco participated in this survey. A survey shows that despite rapid digital development, Moroccans generally prefer offline shopping and pay attention to offline purchasing behavior and promotional activities. 

August 16, Morocco’s electric vehicle battery ecosystem is gaining momentum with the announcement of a new $363.5 million investment to be injected by China’s BTR New Material Group in its second plant to be built in Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City.

August 13, Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc said it will resume direct flights linking Casablanca and Beijing starting 20 January 2025. The airline will operate three flights weekly between Morocco and China, after nearly a five-year halt suspension due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

August 2, Moroccan, which is currently Africa's top car producer, is set to witness a major boost that will see the country double its car production capacity to 1.5 million cars by 2026.

July 25      Morocco has emerged as a dominant force in Africa's automotive industry, surpassing South Africa to claim the title of the continent's largest car producer. The North African nation's automotive industry has surged in recent years, fueled by significant investments and strategic partnerships with global automakers.    

July 23       Morocco announced a 40% increase in airline seats this year as the country continues to pledge more efforts to boost its tourism industry. Minister of Tourism said that this development follows a 22% increase achieved in 2023.

July 19       According to a recent World Bank report, Morocco's economy showed resilience in 2023 with a 3.4% increase in real production. However, the report forecasts a slowdown in growth to 2.9% in 2024. 

July 18      Morocco invests an average annual investment of MAD 18 billion ($1.8 billion) to upgrade its road infrastructure. Minister of Equipment said that the road operation and safety programs are at the forefront of the ministry’s concerns. 

July 17      As economic pressures continue to tighten their grip on Moroccan families, a staggering 90.2% of households find themselves unable to save for the future, according to the latest findings from the High Commission for Planning (HCP).The survey results revealed that over half of households are anticipating a decline in their standard of living over the next 12 months, with over 30% expecting a stable financial situation.

June 24     Moroccans are embracing the mobile revolution with open arms, as evidenced by the skyrocketing number of mobile phone subscriptions. According to a recent report by the Directorate of Financial Studies and Forecasts (DEPF), over 55.4 million Moroccans were connected by mobile phone in the first quarter of 2024, a staggering 4.8% increase compared to the same period last year.

June 21    Casablanca is the leading North African city in the Global Cities Index 2024 by Oxford Economics. The city has been ranked 442nd out of 1,000 cities in the latest ranking. 

June 19    Casablanca and Rabat, two of Morocco’s major cities, are among the least expensive places for expatriates to live in the Middle East and North Africa region. According to the latest cost-of-living survey by Mercer, Casablanca is ranked 153rd and Rabat 173rd out of 226 major global cities. 

June 14     Only one-third of Moroccans hold a positive view of their country’s economic situation, according to a recent survey by the Arab Barometer. Conducted from December 2023 to January 2024, the survey attributes Moroccans’ low confidence in the national economy to the enduring financial pressures four years after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

June 7     Gotion High-tech, the Volkswagen-backed Chinese battery giant, will build Morocco's first electric vehicle battery gigafactory for a total cost of 12.8 billion dirhams ($1.3 billion), the Moroccan government said. 

May 23      Minister of Tourism said in an interview that Morocco has launched plans to promote Morocco as a tourism destination with the goal of welcoming 26 million tourists by 2030.

May 16      In a new report published, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development projected an annual growth rate of 3% for Morocco’s economy in 2024.

May 15       The demand of Moroccans for electric cars remains limited due to technical reasons and consumption culture, with gasoline and diesel cars continuing to dominate the national market. The cost of batteries used in electric cars significantly impacts Moroccan consumer interest despite the remarkable increase in foreign investments in this sector, particularly from China.

May 10       The Ministry of Tourism reported that Morocco’s tourism sector recorded a record number exceeding 1.3 million tourists by April 2024, recording a remarkable growth of 17 % compared to April 2023.

May 6        Morocco’s unemployment rate has surged to a 25-year high of 13.7% in the first quarter of 2024, driven by a prolonged drought, the informal sector’s expansion, outdated data collection and unreported employment, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

May 6       Spanish newspaper Atalayar revealed that Morocco has surpassed China, Japan, and India to become the main exporter of the automotive sector to the European Union. The kingdom uses modern factories, industrial complexes, qualified employees and low production costs to create a strong commercial landscape, with a production turnover that reached more than 535,000 cars.