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Mohammedia – Morocco is moving with visible momentum to build an autonomous, export-capable defense industry while strengthening the cyber resilience of public institutions.
The dual strategy was detailed by Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate in charge of the National Defense Administration, as he presented the 2026 budget and outlined the country’s next phase of military and technological modernization.
A central pillar of this vision is a package of ten newly approved defense-industry projects worth $260 million, expected to create more than 2,500 direct jobs.
These projects aim to furnish the Royal Armed Forces with locally-produced, modern equipment while reducing long-term dependence on foreign suppliers. Five additional proposals remain under review as the national ecosystem continues to expand.
Supporting this industrial rise are two new defense-dedicated acceleration zones, currently under development in line with Decree 2.23.925. Scheduled to be operational before the end of 2026, the zones will offer a mix of tax incentives, customs advantages, and streamlined investor services designed to attract major players to Morocco’s growing defense market.
Legal scaffolding is also strengthened through the application of Law 10.20 on defense and security equipment, the new investment charter, and an industrial offset mechanism obliging foreign contractors to invest locally or transfer advanced technologies.
Beyond its borders, Morocco is deepening defense partnerships through memorandums, agreements, and joint programs with key international stakeholders, aiming to gradually achieve strategic autonomy in manufacturing and research.
On the cybersecurity side, Morocco’s capabilities are expanding quickly in response to increasingly complex threats.
The DGSSI evaluated 76 public and critical-infrastructure web applications between January and September, uncovering 20 critical vulnerabilities and issuing 22 targeted alerts.
The national cyber response center circulated 511 security bulletins, nearly half of them critical, and intervened directly in more than a hundred incidents.
Talent development is advancing in parallel: over 1,500 specialists have been trained since 2012, and a new cybersecurity master’s cohort launched this year at Casablanca Technopark.
Twelve field missions helped institutions build or strengthen their security operations centers, while a nationwide crisis-simulation exercise mobilized 73 teams across strategic sectors.
