Morocco Launches Marhaba 2026 to Receive 3 Million Diaspora Travelers

Marrakech – Morocco on Wednesday launched the 26th edition of Operation Marhaba at the port of Tanger Med. The three-month initiative is designed to receive an estimated 3 million Moroccans residing abroad during the summer transit season. It is widely regarded as the largest seasonal transit operation between two continents.

Here is what you need to know about this year’s edition.

The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity (FM5), which coordinates the initiative, has activated a network of 26 welcome spaces across Morocco and Europe.

Twenty are located domestically, spanning the ports of Tanger Med, Tanger Ville, Al Hoceima and Nador Bni Nsar, airports in Casablanca, Rabat, Oujda, Nador, Agadir, Fez, Marrakech, Tangier, Laayoune and Dakhla, rest areas at Méditerranée, Jebha, Tazaghine and Smir M’Diq, and border crossings at Bab Sebta and Melilla.

Six additional spaces are stationed at European ports: Genoa in Italy, Sète and Marseille in France, and Motril, Almería and Algeciras in Spain. The full apparatus runs from June 10 through September 15.

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Close to 1,400 personnel have been mobilized for the duration. The figure includes Foundation staff, social workers, physicians, and paramedical teams deployed across all 26 sites.

Sanae Dardikh, communications director at the Mohammed V Foundation, told Morocco’s state-owned news agency MAP that the launch took place across all sites simultaneously on royal instructions. She described the operation as “unique in its kind and a major national event.”

The foundation and all institutional partners will stay mobilized for three months to accompany diaspora members and facilitate both arrival and departure procedures, she added.

Abdellah Omar Moussa, a project manager at the foundation, told MAP the deployment covers 20 sites in Morocco and six in Europe. He noted that close coordination with institutional partners remains central to ensuring smooth transit conditions at all designated points. The operation, he explained, reflects a sustained commitment to field-level engagement with the Moroccan community abroad.

A Central Coordination Bureau (BCC), based in Rabat, oversees all field teams, manages inter-agency logistics, and runs a round-the-clock telephone helpline.

The service is reachable at 00 212 537 20 5566 and 00 212 537 20 6666 from abroad, the toll-free numbers 080000 23 23 and 0808 69 07 93 from within Morocco, and dedicated local lines in Italy, France, and Spain for callers at European transit points.

On the aviation front, Transport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh outlined the scope of air transport preparations during a session at the Chamber of Counselors on Tuesday. Speaking to Le360, he confirmed that authorizations have been granted to more than 65 airlines connecting over 161 airports, primarily across Europe.

“The most important thing for us is to provide a substantial offer for the movement of the Moroccan community during the summer season, under the best conditions of safety and comfort,” Kayouh told Le360.

He linked the operational breadth to Morocco’s adoption of the Open Sky policy in 2006, a strategic decision that opened routes to low-cost carriers serving the kingdom from multiple European destinations. The National Airports Office (ONDA) is fully prepared, he added, describing Marhaba as “a special operation that requires a particular effort.”

The operation is jointly supervised by the Mohammed V Foundation, the Ministry of Interior, the Royal Gendarmerie, the National Security Directorate (DGSN), and the Customs Administration (ADII). It covers both arrival and departure phases across all transit points.