Morocco is strengthening its defence industry in order to consolidate its position as a regional power

Morocco is putting a lot of effort into establishing a strong defence industry in order to consolidate its position as a regional power, respond to local demand and export to foreign markets. This interest in the military sector stems from the Kingdom's extensive experience and success in automobile and aircraft manufacturing in recent years.  

This trend has also emerged through alliances that have brought the North African country closer to other companies and nations, such as the signing of an agreement at the end of September with the Indian company Tata Group to produce a combat vehicle in a factory in Morocco. As the Kingdom's military authorities pointed out, with this agreement Rabat hopes to ‘respond to local demand and export to foreign markets’. 

In June, Morocco announced its intention to create two industrial zones in the defence sector to deal with equipment, mechanisms and security weapons systems, following the Ministerial Council's approval of four projects related to the military sector. 

The Moroccan authorities' decision to create and establish a strong military industry stems from the desire to consolidate itself as a regional power. To this end, it decided to enter this sector through a series of steps, such as passing military-related laws, building relevant areas to encourage investment - such as the Nouaceur region - and attracting investment.  

‘The military industry needs financial costs, skills and investment,’ Mohamed Choucair, a Moroccan military expert, told Al-Arab. Choucair believes that the approach adopted by the state ‘will provide all the capabilities’ for a good industry. 

This strategy is closely linked to the comprehensive transformation of national security, as the state believes in the need to develop its own military manufacturing capabilities and reduce dependence on the outside world, especially in the security of sensitive equipment, by achieving defence sovereignty. 

The objective of boosting Morocco's military industry is not new, although it has accelerated over the last decade as a result of the transformations the region is undergoing and the challenges it faces.   

This is why, in November 2022, the minister in charge of the National Defence Administration, Abdul Latif Lodi, stated that the budget allocated to defence was insufficient in light of the security threats facing the region. 

In this regard, it should be noted that Morocco increased its defence budget this year to 124.7 billion dirhams (12.47 billion dollars), up from 120 billion dirhams (12 billion dollars) last year, according to the country's budget for 2024. 

Morocco now ranks 29th among the world's largest arms importers and is the second largest arms importer in Africa after Algeria. 

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, published in March, the Kingdom is among the largest arms importers, with a share of 0.9% of total global arms imports, ranking seventh in the Arab world between 2009 and 2023. 

On the other hand, Choucair explains that his country has civilian competences that can be transferred to the military sphere, especially after its extensive experience in the field of automobile and aircraft manufacturing. The expert also stresses the need to manufacture weapons such as drones, which is why the country is determined to set up factories to produce them, both for self-sufficiency and for export.  

Over the past few years, the Kingdom has attracted numerous international companies to invest in the aeronautics industry, bringing the number of companies operating in this sector to 142, providing around 20,000 job opportunities. 

Exports in this field exceeded 21 billion dirhams (2.1 billion dollars) in 2022, up from 15 billion dirhams (1.5 billion dollars) a year earlier, representing a growth of 40%.