Marrakech – In a recent interview with Asharq Business, Hamid El Andaloussi, president of the industrial cluster “Midparc”, revealed that the country’s aerospace exports are projected to double to $4 billion by the end of the current decade. Midparc is Morocco’s largest aerospace industrial zone.
This growth is primarily driven by increasing orders from global manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.
Morocco’s aerospace exports have already demonstrated impressive performance in the first half of 2024, reaching $1.3 billion, a 16.5% year-on-year increase.
This makes the aerospace sector the top performer among the country’s main export industries, which include automotive, phosphates, and food processing, according to data from the Foreign Exchange Office.
The Moroccan aerospace ecosystem comprises 145 companies that exported $2.1 billion worth of goods last year.
Leading global firms such as Airbus, Boeing, Safran, and Hexcel are at the forefront of this ecosystem, positioning Morocco as Africa’s premier aerospace manufacturing hub.
El Andaloussi anticipates that the sector will achieve a record-breaking $2.4 billion in exports by the end of 2024.
This momentum is expected to continue in the coming years, fueled by rising orders from aerospace companies and the anticipated debut of domestic defense industry investments in the next year.
Morocco’s aerospace sector is projected to experience an average growth rate of 15% starting from the current year, contributing to a doubling of job opportunities to 40,000 and a doubling of export value to $4 billion by 2030, according to El Andaloussi.
The country’s aerospace industry has been developing for 25 years and now boasts companies capable of producing critical aircraft components, engines, and providing maintenance and upgrade services.
Morocco ranks 20th globally in aerospace manufacturing, with a current local content rate of 40%.
El Andaloussi emphasized that Morocco’s focus on training a skilled workforce has been a key strength in attracting significant investments from France, the United States, and Canada.
However, he also highlighted the need to attract investments from additional markets, diversify export markets, and work on localizing the defense industry to create added value.
Read also: Morocco Plans to Manufacture Its First Aircraft by 2030
