Political stability, incentives, mobility and sustainability: Morocco's strengths as a business destination
Morocco presents itself to foreign investors as a resilient, stable economy with direct access to African and European markets and highly skilled human resources
With a privileged geographical location at the crossroads between Africa and Europe, and halfway between Asia and America, Morocco has everything it needs to become an attractive destination for international investors.
Administratively, the country is divided into 12 regions and covers an area of 710,850 square kilometres, with a population of 37.4 million. Its gross domestic product amounted to 1.33 trillion dirhams in 2024, equivalent to around 126.6 billion euros. The sectors that contribute most to this are services, with 54%, and industry, with 20%.
This is the snapshot of a country that has made remarkable economic progress, thanks to a strategy aimed at providing it with the necessary tools to make it an ideal destination for institutional investors.
This strategy works in three directions: on the one hand, making Morocco a business-friendly environment, with great political stability, a resilient economy and numerous incentives established by the government.
Secondly, it promotes a highly competitive environment, with first-class infrastructure that enables the mobility and connectivity of people and goods, highly skilled human resources and a privileged position that provides access to global markets.
And thirdly, it makes the country a sustainable investment destination through an ambitious energy transition plan that seeks to position Morocco among the world's lowest carbon emission platforms.
A stable, resilient economy with incentives
Today, Morocco is a politically very stable country with a clear vision, driven by King Mohammed VI, of the path it must follow to become an attractive destination for international investors.
In recent years, the country's economy has shown its resilience, with very promising growth in gross domestic product (GDP), which has tripled in the first two decades of the century, and annual inflation, which has remained below the 2% mark between 2010 and 2020.
This has been complemented by a successful policy of signing more than 50 free trade and double taxation agreements with countries around the world. As a result, Morocco is the most competitive country in North Africa and the second most attractive investment destination on the continent.
In addition, non-resident investors in Morocco have no capital restrictions and can repatriate both profits and capital from their investments free of charge. They benefit from government subsidies for investment, recruitment and training; first-class industrial zones; and support and guidance from AMDIE throughout the investment process.
World-class infrastructure
A key factor is the existence of a range of world-class infrastructure that facilitates logistics and the distribution of products to markets. In this regard, the Moroccan government, driven by the strategy set out by King Mohammed VI, has done its homework and is now at the forefront of the African continent in terms of the quality of its infrastructure.
Morocco can boast the first high-speed railway line on the African continent, Al Boraq, which links the cities of Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca. This line is currently being extended to reach other cities such as Marrakesh.
The country also has a total of 19 international airports, connecting Morocco with countries around the world, and a network of more than 1,800 kilometres of motorways, linking major urban centres with key infrastructure such as ports.
In terms of maritime transport, the port of Tangier Med is a key infrastructure for economic and industrial development. It is the leading port in the Mediterranean and on the African continent, and ranks 17th in the world. It has connections to more than 180 ports in 70 countries on five continents.
It is joined by the port of Nador, which will complement Tangier Med in the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic port of Dakhla, planned for 2028, which will be key not only for the Western Sahara region, but also for the Atlantic Facade strategy, a geostrategic commitment to provide access to the sea for the countries of the Sahel region.
In terms of communications, the country is also very well positioned internationally in terms of Internet connectivity: at 80.7 Kbit/s, it is above the African average (64.4) in the Internet Broadband Index per citizen.
Competitive human resources
Another factor that may be fundamental in encouraging foreign companies and investors to choose Morocco as a destination is human resources.
In this regard, the North African country has a notable advantage: 39% of its population is between 20 and 45 years old. To take advantage of this competitive edge, it is necessary to provide this population with training in line with the demands of the new labour market. The country has launched an educational strategy that includes the establishment of a network of training centres developed jointly with investors to tailor education to the real needs of businesses.
The result is a leap forward in the training of Moroccan workers. Each year, Morocco has 152,000 new graduates with the appropriate training to enter the labour market.
To ensure that the training they receive is aligned with business needs, the number of agreements signed with leading universities around the world has multiplied, to develop joint programmes and enable Moroccan students to complete their training abroad.