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Marrakech – Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal will generate more than 100,000 jobs per year and boost economic growth by 1.7%, Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah announced Friday in Rabat.
“The economic benefits of co-organizing the 2030 World Cup have been rigorously modeled, with an estimated impact of 1.7% additional growth and the creation of over 100,000 jobs annually,” Fettah stated at the eighth Morocco Today Forum (MTF).
The minister stressed that this momentum presents opportunities for both large Moroccan companies with the necessary scale to accelerate growth and for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that must be fully integrated into this transformation.
“What we are experiencing today constitutes a transformation boulevard for our country, not on the horizon of 2030, but right now, serving a more inclusive future,” she added.
Fettah noted that the World Cup co-hosting also offers a major opportunity to accelerate artisans’ access to financial services through mobile banking while strengthening mobility and connectivity infrastructure essential for sustainable and equitable territorial transformation.
Building trust in digital Morocco
In the digital sphere, Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, outlined the foundations of a new service culture necessary to support this strategic project.
She described three essential pillars: trust in digital technology, citizens’ capacity to interact with digital tools, and accountability, which is crucial for evaluating public services.
Regarding trust, “we are currently working on the digital law, which will be proposed next fall after validation by the competent authorities, then submitted to Parliament,” Seghrouchni revealed.
This law, developed in close collaboration with the National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection (CNDP), the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI), and the Digital Development Agency (ADD), aims to establish a lasting climate of trust between citizens and digital services, she explained.
The minister added that beyond training and awareness initiatives, her department is investing in generative artificial intelligence, an essential vector for democratizing digital access.
World Cup as catalyst for growth
Expanding on the economic benefits, Industry and Commerce Minister Ryad Mezzour pointed out that the mega-event drives public investments by offering enhanced visibility and stronger incentives across industrial sectors.
“Today, this unifying project accelerates our investments, particularly public ones, by offering better visibility and reinforced incentives for investment in various industrial sectors,” Mezzour said.
He identified construction, railway, and airport sectors as prime candidates to attract investors, noting these sectors align with Morocco’s structured development process that increasingly distinguishes itself through sustained growth and a recognized position among the world’s most competitive economies.
“The challenge is to make the 2030 World Cup a sustainable transformation lever by mobilizing long-term investments that will allow Morocco to take a significant step in the Kingdom’s development,” Mezzour explained.
2030: Morocco’s strategic leap
Contributing to the discussion, Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the 2030 World Cup Committee and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), affirmed that the joint organization of the World Cup will inject new momentum into infrastructure, economy, and employment while enhancing Africa’s image globally.
“More than a football event, this World Cup is an institutional, economic, strategic, geopolitical, and civilizational occasion that serves as an accelerator of growth and ongoing transformations,” Lekjaa declared in an address read by Mouad Hajji, General Coordinator at FRMF.
He clarified that this sporting event provides an exceptional platform to consolidate achievements, stimulate investments, strengthen infrastructure, modernize territorial governance, and cement Morocco’s international influence.
Lekjaa added that organizing this sporting event “is neither coincidental nor a matter of circumstance but part of a clear strategic process guided by King Mohammed VI’s enlightened vision.”
On the international front, Miguel Angel Moratinos, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, praised Morocco’s profound transformations across various fields under Royal leadership. Speaking at the forum’s opening, Moratinos expressed admiration for “Morocco’s progress path, aligned with the King’s visionary guidance.”
“The 2030 deadline constitutes an opportunity for the Kingdom to continue its momentum of reforms and move forward in implementing its major development projects,” Moratinos stated.
He added that for the UN, 2030 is a reference year to evaluate results of the 2030 agenda in various domains, particularly poverty elimination and education improvement, with Rabat poised to make important contributions to this international dynamic.
The former Spanish foreign minister also mentioned growing support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative to resolve the Sahara dispute, as evidenced by backing from numerous countries across different continents, including Spain.
World Cup to boost GDP
Shifting to the business perspective, Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) President Chakib Alj asserted that the projects and expected benefits from co-hosting would position Morocco as a key driver for the entire region. He urged the Moroccan private sector to fully seize opportunities in tourism, transport, and digital sectors.
In the financial sector, Mohamed El Kettani, CEO of Attijariwafa Bank, declared that the Moroccan banking sector plays a central role in national economic advancement by mobilizing long-term financing for structural infrastructure projects and actively supporting economic modernization through public-private partnerships.
At the government level, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch characterized the tournament as more than a sporting event, calling it a “strategic transformation accelerator” that consolidates Morocco’s ongoing development.
“It’s an opportunity to realize, at all levels, the Royal Will to consolidate the foundations of a dynamic, inclusive and sovereign Morocco,” Akhannouch stated in a video address.
The scope of investment is substantial, with plans approaching MAD 500 billion ($50 billion), according to Mohammed Haitami, CEO of Le Matin Group, which organized the forum.
Based on FIFA projections and macroeconomic analyses cited by Morocco’s Ambassador to the United States Youssef Amrani, the World Cup could generate a direct and indirect impact equivalent to 4% of Morocco’s GDP through investment, employment, tourism, and global image enhancement.
The MTF 2025, themed “Vision of a King – Morocco 2030: Consolidating the Foundations of a Great Nation,” brought together national and international decision-makers, researchers, and key figures from sports, economic, digital, and media sectors.
