Doha – Providing a detailed overview of Morocco’s religious infrastructure expansion, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq announced that his department has allocated MAD 154.6 million ($15.46 million) for mosque construction in 2025.
The funding will complete 23 ongoing mosque projects and initiate construction of 9 new ones.
Speaking at the House of Representatives, Toufiq outlined several parallel initiatives, including MAD 275.5 million ($27.55 million) for rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged mosques, and MAD 146.9 million ($14.69 million) dedicated to preserving and restoring historic mosques.
Additionally, MAD 264.9 million ($26.49 million) has been earmarked to equip 1,640 mosques with energy-efficient installations.
The ministry’s efforts have taken on increased urgency following the devastating 2023 Al Haouz earthquake, which affected 2,217 mosques.
A special three-year program with a budget of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million) has been established to rehabilitate damaged religious buildings and waqfs.
Notably, the ministry has already succeeded in reopening 1,100 of the earthquake-affected mosques.
“Despite these efforts, approximately 1,454 mosques remain closed and require about MAD 2 billion ($200 million) for rehabilitation, as around 230 mosques are closed annually,” Toufiq stated during the parliamentary session.
Morocco currently maintains approximately 52,000 mosques nationwide, with 72% located in rural areas.
The distribution shows significant regional disparities, with rural areas having about 15 mosques per 5,000 inhabitants, compared to 4 in urban centers.
The ministry’s broader initiatives include the construction of 17 religious, administrative, and cultural complexes at a total cost of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million).
For the current fiscal year, MAD 225 million ($22.5 million) has been allocated for the development and maintenance of these complexes.
Recent technical assessments include 2,579 studies completed at a cost of MAD 45.5 million ($4.55 million), alongside 1,182 rehabilitation operations executed with a budget of MAD 214 million ($21.4 million).
The ministry has also equipped 1,190 mosques with portable fire extinguishers as part of its fire prevention program.
Since the launch of the mosque rehabilitation program in 2010, around 2,020 mosques have been rehabilitated at a cost of MAD 3.44 billion ($344 million), and 148 historic mosques have been restored.
Currently, 563 mosques are undergoing rehabilitation at an estimated cost of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million), while 171 others are in the study and authorization phase, requiring MAD 195 million ($19.5 million).
As part of the renovation efforts, the ministry has connected over 600 rural mosques to electricity and water supplies, installed sanitary infrastructure in 2,334 mosques, and implemented energy-efficient technologies in 2,800 mosques.
The total cost of these operations has reached MAD 4.5 billion ($450 million) to date.
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