Rabat – Morocco and the UAE signed a joint declaration today, committing to boosting bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of sectors.
King Mohammed VI signed the joint declaration in Abu Dhabi with President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Titled “Towards an Innovative, Renewed, and Deep-rooted Partnership,” the declaration aims to strengthen ties between the two countries through a win-win economic partnership.
According to the text of the declaration, King Mohammed VI’s visit to the UAE came at the invitation of Al Nahyan. During the royal visit, the text noted, the two leaders reaffirmed the “deep relations” between their two countries, signaling their commitment to continue to foster the already strong cooperation.
“During their bilateral talks… the two Heads of State reiterated their firm and resolute commitment to elevate the relations between the two countries and their mutual cooperation towards broader horizons, through active economic partnerships serving their shared supreme interests, generating progress and prosperity for the two brotherly peoples,” said the declaration’s text.
The declaration touches on different points, including the need to work towards elevating bilateral ties in economic, commercial, investment, and industrial aspects to the “level of deep political” ties to serve the development goals of both countries.
The two countries also aspire to establish a model of comprehensive and balanced economic and investment cooperation open to the private sector, attracting benefits for both parties.
Multi-sectors cooperation
Under the first segment of the declaration, the UAE and Morocco notably pledged to activate pragmatic and concrete cooperation through structuring projects to address the interests of both countries in different fields, including socio-economic sectors, infrastructure, transportation, drinking water, agriculture, energy, tourism, and real estate, among others.
Under the same declaration, the two countries also vowed to continue to take into account the common concerns of the two sides, cherish mutual trust and realize concrete cooperation for mutual development based on the win-win principle.
Morocco and the UAE also expressed their determination to work on the basis of mutual agreement to prioritize different sectors, including identification of opportunities to invest in infrastructure.
This will include the extension of railways, with particular emphasis on the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed Train, the development of airports, including in Casablanca, Marrakech, Dakhla, and Nador, and the development of ports across Morocco, particularly the Nador West Mzd and the Dakhla Atlantic Port.
In addition to infrastructure, Morocco and the UAE aim to expand cooperation in suitable development sectors, through exploring investment opportunities, and the construction of dams for drinking water, agriculture, and hydroelectric dams.
The sustainable development sectors the two countries seek to boost also include the production of green hydrogen and its derivatives, and energy transport, in addition to the possibility of strategic cooperation in the field of food security with Morocco’s fertilizer giant OCP.
Under the declaration, Morocco and the UAE will also develop joint projects in the fields of tourism and real estate, along the Mediterranean coast and the regions of Dakhal and Tarfaya.
The two countries will also explore opportunities to boost socio-economic sectors, teaming up to contribute to the reconstruction and redevelopment of regions affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
The two will also explore the realization and financing of projects in the construction of educational, university, and health facilities.
King Mohammed VI and President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Morocco as the gateway to Africa also seeks to help UAE engage in exploring economic partnerships and the development of energy infrastructure with African countries, particularly in projects such as the Africa-Atlantic gas pipeline project, the development of the Dakhla Gateway to Africa project and the creation and management of a commercial maritime fleet.
