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Rabat – Minister of Industry Ryad Mezzour is full of praise for Neo, Morocco’s newly made vehicle that is set to be available on the local market in the coming weeks at an average price of $16,200.
Mezzour said that the vehicle “has passed all the tests successfully and will be offered to Moroccan customers with competitive prices.”
The Moroccan brand is in the process of being approved by the competent authorities, Mezzour said in an interview with Moroccan news outlet Le360, stressing that the Industry Ministry had the “chance to see the vehicle in preview.”
Mezzour had announced in November the future launch of the 100% Moroccan made car, stressing that the car’s price will be set at MAD 170,000 ($16,200).
Speaking about Morocco’s automotive sector, the official emphasized that the county should be proud of its achievements in the manufacturing of cars.
The Morocco-made vehicle will mark a new milestone as it will bear a Moroccan name, Mezzour added, noting that his ministry is working alongside Moroccan investors to increase the “integration rate so that the parts are also mainly Moroccans.”
“For the moment, it [the car] will be intended for the local market, but we are confident and we will support and do the best we can so that this operator has an international dimension,” the minister said.
Mezzour also emphasized the challenges facing Morocco’s automotive sector, including the difficulty to attract a third manufacturer in Morocco due to the current global situation.
“The European market is the main market to which we sell our vehicles. This, as well as the global automotive market, is in decline,” he said.
Whatever the competitive position Morocco holds, the declining market makes it hard to attract a third manufacturer, Mezzour argued.
In a previous statement at the House of Representatives, Mezzour highlighted Morocco’s automotive assets, stressing that the North African country is home to 10,000 car design engineers working for world-class brands from Germany, Britain, France, and North America.
“The country is full of skills capable of manufacturing cars and dedicated factories,” he said.
