Morocco Accelerates AI Push with New Partnership with Orange

Rabat – Morocco has taken a new step in its ambition to develop a sovereign and competitive artificial intelligence ecosystem through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform and Orange Maroc, aimed at advancing the “AI Made in Morocco” initiative.

The agreement was signed in Casablanca by Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, and Orange Maroc CEO Hendrik Kasteel, in the presence of representatives from the national digital ecosystem. It seeks to strengthen cooperation in testing, developing, and deploying AI-based solutions across key sectors.

This partnership is aligned with the national strategy “Maroc Digital 2030” and the “AI Made in Morocco” roadmap. It also supports the rollout of the JAZARI Institutes network, a flagship program designed to accelerate innovation and expand the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies across the country.

Under this framework, both parties aim to design and experiment with practical AI use cases, particularly in digital public administration and e-government services. The goal is to harness artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of public services and support the modernization of state institutions.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni described the agreement as an important milestone in Morocco’s broader digital transformation journey. She highlighted that the partnership would help mobilize technological resources, infrastructure, and training programs to strengthen the national AI ecosystem. She also noted that several pilot projects have already been identified and will be jointly developed in the coming months.

For its part, Orange Maroc emphasized its commitment to supporting Morocco’s digital ambitions. The company’s Chief Consumer Officer, Noël Château, described the agreement as a significant step forward, underlining that Orange will contribute its technological infrastructure and expertise to develop concrete AI applications.

These will target several strategic areas, including e-government, e-health, e-education, and e-agriculture, in line with the “Maroc Digital 2030” strategy and the national “AI Made in Morocco” roadmap.

Officials said the partnership reflects a shared vision to build a resilient, innovative, and sovereign digital ecosystem capable of supporting Morocco’s technological transformation while strengthening national expertise in artificial intelligence.

The JAZARI program, according to the Ministry, is structured as a connected national network of specialized institutes. Each institute operates with thematic autonomy while remaining integrated into a broader system of shared knowledge, data, and expertise.

The initiative aims to cover the full innovation chain, from scientific research and experimentation to industrial application and technology transfer.

Five institutes have already been launched under the program: JAZARI ROOT, the central coordination and architecture hub; JAZARI Smart City, focused on intelligent urban development; JAZARI EduTech, dedicated to education digitalization; JAZARI Industrie X.0, aimed at industrial competitiveness; and JAZARI Smart Energy, focused on AI-driven energy transition.