Rabat – This year’s Marhaba Operation has so far recorded a 28% growth in arrivals at numerous port crossings when compared to last year, official figures have indicated.
The operation is part of Morocco’s efforts to facilitate the transit of Moroccans living abroad during their summer breaks. Launched under the guidance of King Mohammed VI on June 5, this summer’s Marhaba Operation has been proceeding exceptionally well due the collaborative efforts by authorities from Spain, France, and Italy, according to the official figures.
In a statement about its Operation Marhaba performances, the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) said it takes pride in having welcomed more than 20 million passengers during the past twenty years and thus emerging as the foremost connection point with the northern Moroccan city of Tangier.
The growing harmony between Moroccan and Spanish authorities has fostered not only the dynamic growth of passenger numbers but also an incident-free environment, the APBA suggested.
A mainstay in this success is the operational capacity that accommodates peak traffic periods by utilizing 32 ships that sail across 12 shipping lines to connect Moroccan ports with their European counterparts. These connections ensure a total of 538 weekly trips that could cater to as many as 501,000 passengers and provide passage for over 136,000 cars per week.
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Recent data from Spain’s Ministry of Interior highlights that at Spanish ports alone, the Marhaba Operation successfully recorded 1,876 boat movements up until last Sunday. Moreover, the operation affected transportation for roughly 419,500 passengers along with over 101,000 vehicles.
Throughout this summer season, seven port locations in Spain including Alicante, Almeria, Malaga, Motril, Tarifa, and Valencia significantly contributed to making the Marhaba operation a success.
Also critical to the current positive rate is the city of Algeciras, which has so far sanctioned 1,322 ship rotations accounting for about 70% of all journeys during this year’s Marhaba Operation. In doing so, the Spanish port has been responsible for transporting 236,000 passengers (56% of total trips) and over 64,000 vehicles (63% of the overall sum).
