The King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, is giving a boost to the "Made in Morocco" brand by presiding over a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Rabat to present to the public the first Moroccan car model and a prototype of a hydrogen vehicle, also made in Morocco. This move is aimed at strengthening and consolidating the Kingdom's status as a competitive platform for automobile production and is part of an ambitious plan that aims to achieve a significant leap forward in many industrial sectors, targeting the local market and abroad.
The Kingdom is entering the field of industrialisation with firm steps, benefiting from the potential at the national level and the many partnerships at the international level.
The ceremony, presided over by King Mohammed VI, in the presence of the Minister of Industry and Trade, Riad Mezour, honoured Nassim Belkhayat, founder and director of Neo Motors, and Fawzi Najah, founder and director of Namex, by awarding them the Medal of Intellectual Competence in the rank of Commander. This initiative is in line with the promotion of the 'Made in Morocco' brand.
Presenting the car of Neo Motors, a Moroccan-owned company, and the hydrogen-powered vehicle prototype for the NAMEX company, reflects a real will to promote Moroccan industry, especially among Moroccan youth, who play a key role in these two projects.
The two industrial initiatives are in line with an ambitious economic and development plan designed by the Moroccan monarch, who in recent years has promoted huge projects to promote local development and strengthen the Kingdom's position internationally. Rabat also devotes efforts to promote clean energy, such as the multiple projects in the southern provinces aimed at promoting sustainable development.
They are also consistent with royal instructions aimed at promoting the private sector towards productive investment, especially in advanced and forward-looking sectors, stimulating the emergence of a new generation of companies in the Kingdom.
The two projects also refer to King Mohammed VI's vision for the future related to sustainable development and the promotion of renewable energies, especially in the promising green hydrogen sector.
Neo Motors established a factory in Ain Aouda, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region, to manufacture cars for the local market and for export abroad. Annual production capacity is expected to reach 27,000 units, with a local integration rate of up to 65%, while the total value of the investment in this project is expected to reach 156 million dirhams ($15.49 million), with the potential to create 580 jobs.
Last February, the National Road Safety Agency gave the final go-ahead for the first vehicle. The company supervised the launch of the initial production line and intends to inaugurate this industrial unit in June and start the marketing process.
This project, which marks the birth of the first Moroccan car brand for the public, is overseen by national expertise. It relies, in particular, on a local car preparation system being developed by the Kingdom.
As for the prototype of the hydrogen vehicle for the company 'NAMEX', it was designed in collaboration with the prestigious Italian design office specialised in bodywork, Pininfarina. The interior design of the vehicle was created by Moroccan talent.
According to the Moroccan news agency (MAP), the hydrogen utility vehicle model will be fuelled with hydrogen through a central tank that will be reinforced with six removable capsules, allowing for significant battery capacity and facilitating hydrogen refuelling within minutes.
This pioneering project places Morocco at the heart of a renewed global drive to develop new forms of transport that combine efficiency and respect for the environment.
