Alstom plans to set up in the port of Tangier Med
The French multinational specialised in the production of high-speed trains, Alstom, is planning to increase production in Morocco, one of the 60 countries where it operates. Alstom plans to build a production plant in the port of Tangier Med, according to the website Africa Intelligence.
The company is studying the possibility of installing a second industrial plant in the port of Tangier, one of the most important in Africa and the Mediterranean, which has become in recent years an important logistical and industrial centre for Morocco, after opening a new one in Fez in 2020.
Earlier reports already confirmed the French company's desires to invest in Morocco to expand high-speed routes from Rabat and build industrial plants to supply the local market after drawing up long-term plans to meet demand from the West.
Morocco is working to establish a train production system by 2025, which will be achieved by supplying high-speed trains and trams in cooperation with Alstom, the best-known player in this field in the North African country, provided that the parts produced in Morocco are 60%.
Alstom sees its investment in Morocco as a profitable project in terms of future projects related to railways and electric trains, as Rabat intends to extend its high-speed railway line from Casablanca to Marrakech and Agadir and from Rabat to Fez and Meknes.
This is not the only reason for future investment, as the Moroccan government and French companies are close to entering this market with their production. The economic infrastructure offered by Morocco will also connect the country with the rest of the West African region.
Morocco's plans include developing a tram network in the main cities, expanding the railway to other regions, and wants to improve the railway infrastructure in preparation for the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted with Spain and Portugal.
Moreover, Alstom's aim with this announcement is to eliminate the opportunity for interested competitors to win the multi-million dollar contract awarded by the Moroccan National Railways as part of the plan to expand and renew the country's high-speed network.
Meanwhile, Alstom's announcement comes after Emmanuel Macron's government approved the transfer of 30 Mirage aircraft from the Emirates to Morocco as part of military cooperation between the two countries.
According to experts, this decision contributed to the creation of a pleasant atmosphere in terms of trade, which joins the good times that diplomatic relations between France and Morocco are going through following the latest visits of Gallic ministers to the North African nation.
