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Join on Telegram “There is no place today or tomorrow for a Morocco moving at two speeds,” King Mohammed VI proclaimed in his July 29 Throne Day Speech commemorating 26 years since his ascension to the throne.
The king’s memorable words mirror those of an American president, Lyndon B. Johnson, as he addressed the urban-rural disparity challenges of 1960s America in his 1965 State of the Union address before Congress: “We can help insure continued prosperity through a regional recovery program to assist the development of stricken areas left behind by our national progress …”
The transformation has been impressive. In 1999, Morocco possessed a modest $46 billion economy that was perhaps best known for tourism, tangerines and textiles. Of the total population of 28 million, about forty-five percent were under 20. In 1999, half of all households were rural and in-home electricity was still new to remote mountain villages.
Fast forward one generation. Between 1998 and 2023, UN data shows average life expectancy in Morocco increased by nine years, to seventy-five. Income per capita doubled in inflation-adjusted terms. Primary and secondary school enrollment almost doubled.
Over the past decade, Morocco’s aeronautical exports more than tripled, from MAD 7.7 billion ($769 million) to MAD 26.44 billion. The nation has become an agricultural export powerhouse while the 2030 FIFA World Cup to be held jointly by Morocco, Spain and Portugal is a testament to infrastructure and planning.
Last fall, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted the breadth of Morocco’s development: “By leveraging world-class infrastructure such as the Tanger Med port, the kingdom has successfully inserted itself into global value chains and made the best of this insertion by attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) and building an export-driven industry.”
Old & New Challenges
Though the past quarter century has provided breathtaking change, the king’s speech was a call to the nation’s institutions—from national ministries to rural civil society associations—to engage in efforts that genuinely improve the lives of all Moroccans. A genuine challenge given stubborn inflation for many consumer basics like flour and meat/poultry.
Yes, the Al Boraq high-speed train represents the fast-moving service economy in Morocco. But the train speeds by rural villages struggling with drought and an exodus of young talent headed for coastal cities. Rural social services are often stretched thin, accompanied by an aging population.
The Casablanca-Settat region (about the size of Clark County, Nevada) accounts for nearly one-third of the nation’s total GDP.
The king’s speech outlined three broad policy areas: reaffirming the nation’s economic development model, enhancing broader territorial development, and championing a national diplomacy rooted in regional cooperation and engagement.
Mohammed VI’s speech alternated between measured analysis of impressive progress and somber acknowledgement of stubborn challenges that remain. The king vowed never to be satisfied, regardless of the level of economic development and infrastructure, “if it does not contribute tangibly to improving citizens’ living conditions from all social categories and in all regions and areas without discrimination or exclusion.”
The king’s speech has now led to a recalibration of the national development agenda as it relates to territorial development equity. The focus: job creation and promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening basic social services, sustainable water resource management, and integrated territorial development projects. Balancing regional assets with national coherence.
One generation into a new era for Morocco, a cross-sector domestic development endeavor not unlike those pursued by numerous American presidents is underway. A Throne Day Speech, like the State of the Union adress, is an opportunity to evaluate genuine progress, celebrate hard-won successes and calibrate program specifics.
