Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Rabat – King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, presided on Monday in Nouaceur over the presentation and launch ceremony of Safran’s new aircraft engine industrial complex, a project that seeks to strengthen Morocco’s standing as a global hub in the aeronautics industry.
Located in the integrated aerospace industrial platform “Midparc” in Nouaceur, the complex will include two major facilities: one dedicated to the assembly and testing of Safran aircraft engines, and another to the maintenance and repair of new-generation LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines.
More than a major industrial investment, the project reflects the strong partnership between Safran and Morocco and shows King Mohammed VI’s determination to elevate the country’s aerospace sector to new levels of technological competitiveness.
At the start of the ceremony, a film retraced the impressive progress of Morocco’s aeronautics industry, one of the nation’s most dynamic sectors, built over recent years through major reforms and structural projects.
A new phase in Morocco-Safran partnership
Morocco has become an essential destination for advanced manufacturing and innovation thanks to the King’s vision, Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour at the event.
The sector’s export revenues had surged from less than MAD 1 billion ($98 million) in 2004 to more than MAD 26 billion ($2.54 billion) in 2024, he explained. Over 150 companies, including global leaders, currently operate in Morocco, making the country a true showcase of industrial expertise.
Mezzour underlined that Safran, a historic partner of Morocco for the past 25 years, is reaffirming its confidence in the Moroccan platform through the creation of this integrated complex, which brings together engine assembly, testing, maintenance, and repair under one hub.
He explained that the new maintenance and repair facility represents an investment of MAD 1.3 billion ($127 million) and will have the capacity to service 150 engines per year while creating 600 direct jobs by 2030.
The assembly and testing plant, worth MAD 2.1 billion ($205 million), will focus on LEAP-1A engines used in Airbus A320 Neo aircraft and is expected to create 300 highly skilled jobs by 2029.
As the second global production site for the LEAP-1A engine, this complex will firmly establish Morocco within the international value chain of aircraft engine manufacturing.
It will also attract new suppliers to the national ecosystem and support the country’s efforts to create long-term, skilled employment opportunities for its youth.
“We produce with Morocco, not in Morocco”
Safran Chairman Ross McInnes noted that the King’s presence at the ceremony carried deep significance, symbolizing the Monarch’s personal commitment to Morocco’s industrial transformation and to maintaining a world-class investment climate.
He remarked that Safran “does not produce in Morocco but with Morocco,” emphasizing that the partnership between the two sides is one of mutual growth and trust.
For his part, Safran Chief Executive Officer Olivier Andriès said the decision to establish the new industrial complex in Morocco was based on the country’s strong advantages, skilled talent, modern infrastructure, and a stable macroeconomic environment.
“Above all, we were guided by the confidence inspired by Your Majesty’s vision to make Morocco a globally competitive industrial platform,” he said, adding that Safran’s total ongoing investments in Morocco exceed 350 million euros (MAD 3.7 billion) and will create thousands of jobs across the national aeronautics ecosystem.
King Mohammed VI also chaired the signing of three agreements marking a new stage in the partnership between Morocco and Safran.
The first was a framework agreement between the Moroccan government and Safran for the establishment of the assembly and testing plant. The second was a memorandum of understanding on supplying Safran’s Moroccan sites with renewable energy. The third was an agreement for the installation of the new facility within the Midparc industrial zone.
Following the signing ceremony, the King unveiled the LEAP-1A engine, a new-generation model featuring advanced materials and manufacturing technologies.
He then posed for a group photo with young trainees from the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique (IMA) in Nouaceur, who will later join the engine maintenance facility, before officially launching the construction works of the Safran industrial complex.
Safran, the world’s leading manufacturer of short- and medium-haul aircraft engines and the third-largest aerospace company outside aircraft manufacturers, has been established in Morocco for 25 years.
Its growing footprint reflects the country’s rise as a major player in global aerospace, the result of a forward-looking royal vision, modern infrastructure, and an ambitious industrial strategy that continues to attract leading international investors.
