Morocco aims to reach 40,000 aerospace jobs by 2030
The Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, inaugurated the 7th Marrakech Air Show and pledged to double the number of jobs in the aerospace and aeronautics sector in five years
Morocco's political stability, its solid infrastructures, its strategic location between Europe and Africa, its skilled workforce and its favourable business climate are the essential factors that make the country an ideal partner in the aerospace sector.
This is the main message of the Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, during the inauguration of the seventh edition of the Marrakech Air Show (MAS 2024), which is being held from 30 October to 2 November.
Objective: doubling employment
In addition to highlighting the main strengths of the Moroccan aerospace sector, Minister Mezzour issued a challenge to those attending MAS 2024: to double employment in the sector to 40,000 direct jobs by 2030.
This challenge will be taken up by the 147 companies in the sector, which have an annual turnover of some 22 billion dirhams and employ 21,000 workers, with a local integration rate of 40%.
As the Minister of Industry and Trade stressed, Morocco's increased production capacity in this sector has attracted major international partners, allowing any aircraft component to be manufactured on Moroccan soil.
The next step, Mezzour explained, is to achieve complete assembly of the aircraft in Morocco: ‘We have the solid experience and recognised know-how to meet this challenge,’ he said.
According to the latest data published by the Moroccan Bureau de Change (the department in charge of official statistics), the aerospace sector recorded revenues of 10.68 billion dirhams (about $1 billion) between January and May this year, an increase of 17.6% compared to the figure for the same period in 2023. This growth is attributed to increased sales in the assembly sector.
A successful sector
For his part, Khalid Safir, CEO of Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG), a state-owned financial institution, underlined Morocco's commitment to the aerospace and defence sector, a strategic industry for the country.
For Safir, the Moroccan aerospace sector has been ‘a real success story’, with more than 20,000 jobs, making it a locomotive of the national economy.
CDG supports the development of this industry through its subsidiary MEDZ, which has set up a total of 16 industrial zones in different parts of the country.
Abdelhamid Addou, CEO of the Moroccan flag carrier, Royal Air Maroc, also spoke at the opening of the show. The airline, founded in the 1960s, has recently launched a 14-year strategic plan, the objectives of which are to increase its fleet fourfold, to 200 aircraft, to increase the number of passengers it carries to 35 million a year, and to increase revenues from 2 billion to 9 billion dollars.
More than 75 countries present
The 2024 edition of the Marrakech Air Show occupies an exhibition space of more than 12,500 square metres, with some 200 exhibitors and 75 official delegations from countries all over the world.
On this occasion, the United Arab Emirates is the guest of honour, and will take the opportunity to strengthen ties and increase collaboration with the Moroccan aerospace sector.
This year's edition will focus particularly on innovation and new technologies, with a space dedicated to start-ups and research projects. The challenges of energy transition and sustainable mobility will also be discussed at the various conferences and round tables that will be held as part of the event.