Nador West Med: Mohammed VI gives instructions for a start “in the best conditions”
This working meeting, which comes ahead of the port's operational launch in the fourth quarter of this year, is part of the Royal Vision aimed at sustainably anchoring the Kingdom's economy to global value chains through the establishment of first-class port infrastructure.
During the working meeting, a presentation was made to the King by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nador West Med, Mr. Fouad Brini, on the progress of the project and the achievements to date.
Following the international success of Tanger Med, which has become the leading port hub in Africa and the Mediterranean, the new Nador West Med project extends this Royal Ambition to build an efficient and complementary national port system that will boost the competitiveness of the national economy, create jobs, and promote balanced regional development.
Designed as an integrated project, it is based on a new-generation port complex backed by a vast industrial, logistics, and energy platform. To date, it has mobilized public and private investment of 51 billion dirhams.
On the port side, all the basic infrastructure is now complete and includes 5.4 km of breakwaters, 4 km of quays, and 4 energy stations.
The port concession contracts for the two container terminals have been signed and will gradually come into service starting this year.
Nador West Med is also rolling out a new offering, an energy hub comprising the Kingdom's first liquefied natural gas terminal, with an annual capacity of 5 billion m3, as well as a hydrocarbon terminal.
This strategic component directly responds to the Kingdom's energy sovereignty requirements.
At start-up, the port will have an annual capacity of 5 million containers and 35 million tons of liquid and solid bulk. Ultimately, the additional annual development potential is 12 million containers and 15 million tons of liquid bulk.
Backed by the port complex, the project also plans to develop new business parks, covering an area of 700 hectares in the first phase, which have already attracted the first international operators.
The private investments confirmed to date in this new port and industrial complex, totaling MAD 20 billion, demonstrate the confidence placed in Morocco by leading international maritime and industrial operators.
At the end of his speech, the King gave instructions for all necessary measures to be taken by the various stakeholders to ensure that the project gets off to the best possible start, and for the rapid implementation of specific training programs to support investors, facilitate the integration of young people, and improve their employability.
The Sovereign also gave instructions to ensure that the impact of these investments benefits all provinces within the port's catchment area, to support the project with regional upgrading programs aimed at improving the living environment in the region, and to implement a multidimensional action plan that preserves the future development of the project.
This working meeting was attended by the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Abdelouafi Laftit, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Ms. Nadia Fettah, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Mr. Nizar Baraka, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Ryad Mezzour, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Ms. Leila Benali, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nador West Med, Mr. Fouad Brini.
