Casablanca — Morocco has all the assets needed to build its development around a modern, sovereign, and forward-looking maritime ambition, Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh said today in Tangier.
Speaking at the opening of the first National Maritime Conference, Kayouh said Morocco’s stability, infrastructure, logistics expertise, and geographic position allow it to play a central role in strengthening regional trade and opening Sahel countries to international trade routes.
He referred to the Royal Atlantic Initiative and the Royal Initiative to facilitate Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean, saying they reflect the King’s vision for the region’s future, based on connectivity, shared development, and economic integration.
Kayouh said Morocco is continuing to strengthen its position as a strategic platform linking Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic space.
He cited the ports of Tanger Med, Nador West Med, and Dakhla Atlantique, along with the expansion and modernization of ports in Casablanca, Jorf Lasfar, and Agadir. He also pointed to the development of railway networks and their connection to major ports, highways, national logistics platforms, and several dry ports.
The minister said the maritime sector is a key part of this dynamic, adding that several major projects are helping implement this vision, particularly in the southern provinces, not only in ports but also in roads, railways, and logistics.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez commended King Mohammed VI’s vision for maritime development and investment. He said the sector remains strategically important because it carries a large share of global goods.
Dominguez also welcomed Morocco’s commitment to multilateralism and cooperation with the IMO to promote safe, secure, and environmentally friendly maritime transport, while preserving freedom of navigation and keeping people at the center of priorities.
He said Tangier was a fitting host city as a strategic crossroads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, citing Tanger Med, the region’s leading port, as well as Morocco’s major logistics and infrastructure projects, including ports, the high-speed train, shipbuilding projects, and green fuels.
The two-day conference brings together government officials, international organizations, public institutions, economic operators, shipowners, port authorities, and national and international experts.
Discussions will cover the maritime sector’s role in the Royal Atlantic Initiative, Sahel access to the Atlantic, the development of a competitive fleet, governance and regulatory reform, maritime logistics, innovation, training, human capital, navigation safety, marine protection, and Morocco’s sustainability commitments.
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