Morocco
Paris’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, denounced by Algiers in recent days, reflects a possible shift in the French policy in the Maghreb. The snap election called last June by Emmanuel Macron, which herald a major shift in the domestic balance of power in the Hexagon, do not seem to have halted the rapprochement between France and the Alawite kingdom, marked in recent months by the visits of numerous French government officials to Rabat. Among them were Minister of Economy Riester, Minister of Interior Darmanin, Minister of Finance Le Maire and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sejourné: in February, the Minister Sejourné announced that he had "personally" taken charge of relations with Rabat. The desire to mend relations with Morocco – damaged by a problematic colonial legacy and the succession of diplomatic crisis – reflects Paris’ attempt to curb the erosion of its influence in Africa, undermined by the growing anti-French sentiment in the Maghreb and the Sahelian strip. Above all, it is a new setback for the renouvelé partenariat launched by Macron in favour of Algeria, the Kingdom's historical rival with which France maintains parallel relations. In this context, the French reversal trend is mainly directed at the Western Sahara, which is disputed between Morocco and Algeria and is key to Rabat's energy and trade ambitions. There, France intends to support the development of a Moroccan green hydrogen industry, foster nuclear development for civilian use and the electrical connection between Casablanca and the Saharan capital of Dakhla. The projects aim – according to the development plan sponsored by king Mohamed VI – to turn the region into an engine for the kingdom’s energy transition.
With the agreement on defence and security between Morocco and Burkina Faso, Rabat continues to expand its influence in the Sahel neighbourhood. Signed in Rabat by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Abdellatif Loudiyi, and his Burkinabé counterpart, Kassoum Coulibaly, the agreement provides for the strengthening of military cooperation between the Alawite kingdom and Ouagadougou, which has been engaged, with mixed fortunes, in the decades-long fight against the jihadist advance. Together with Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso is part of king Mohamed VI’s Atlantic Initiative to create a trade corridor between the Sahel countries and the Atlantic port of Dakhla, in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. It is worth noting that Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister, Jean-Marie Traoré, recently reiterated Ouagadougou's support for Morocco's autonomy plan for the region. Morocco’s southern openings contribute to the erosion of Algiers’ influence over Western Sahara and the Sahel, where the Tebboune presidency has recently suffered diplomatic “setbacks” by its Malian and Nigerian partners.
The upgrade of the kingdom’s military capabilities continues apace as Morocco registered a 50% increase in military expenditure compared to 2023. Covering 69% of military imports, Washington stands fast as Morocco’s foremost supplier: the kingdom’s latest acquisitions include a $227m deal with Lockheed Martin for the purchase of an unspecified number of ATACMS missiles, which Morocco won together with Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland. In early July, Collins Industries also signed a $265 million contract to install DB and MS-110 reconnaissance systems on the kingdom's F-16 fighter jets. By 2025, the Moroccan Air Force will have a new batch of F-16 Block 71-72s equipped with Viper electronic systems.
However, Morocco does not neglect cooperation with Israel. The re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv – formalized by the kingdom’s accession to the Abraham Accords in 2021 – inaugurated a military partnership that accounts for 11% of Rabat’s arms imports, which the kingdom has maintained on the backdrop of the Gaza crisis. At the end of July, Morocco announced a 1-billion-dollar deal to acquire two Ofek-13 spy satellites from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The move suggests that Rabat is seeking to replace the French Thales and Airbus satellites used by the kingdom in the past with Israeli counterparts. The competition for the Moroccan military market reflects the deterioration in diplomatic relations between Paris and Tel Aviv: the announcement of the Ofek satellite deal comes just weeks after the exclusion of Israeli companies from the 2024 edition of Eurosatory, France's international defence showcase. A measure that, according to the Quai d'Orsay, distances France from Israeli policy in the Strip.
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The initiative was promoted by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), the Med-Or Foundation, the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and the Italian Embassy in Rabat.
Present at the event were the Italian Minister of Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, the Moroccan Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Abdellatif Miraoui, and the Italian Ambassador to Rabat, Armando Barucco.
Med-Or Foundation attended the 12th edition of the international conference “The Atlantic Dialogues” organized by the think tank The Policy Center for the New South in Marrakech, Morocco.
Med-Or Chairman Marco Minniti visited the Kingdom of Morocco and signed two partnership agreements with the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication
| Head of state | King Mohammed VI |
| Head of Government | Aziz Akhannouch |
| Institutional Form | Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
| Capital | Rabat |
| Legislative Power | Bicameral Parliament composed of a House of Councillors (10 Members) and a House of Representatives (395 Members) |
| Judicial Power | Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (composed of 5 judicial panels organised into civil, family, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections) |
| Ambassador to Italy | Youssef Balla |
| Total Area kmq | 716.550 km2 |
| Land | 716.300 km2 |
| Weather | Mediterranean in the north, hot and dry desert in the south |
| Natural resources | Phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt |
| Economic summary | Kingdom of Morocco recently strengthened economic relations with Europe because of a developed, diversified and open market, foreign investments and low labour costs. Morocco has increased the investments in seaport, transport and industrial infrastructure | |
| GDP | € 130.3 billion (2023) | |
| Exports | € 38.5 billion (2023) |
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| Export partner | Spain 21.7%, France 19%, Italy 4.96%, India 4.32%, Brazil 3.61%, United States 3.5% (2020) | |
| Imports | € 64.2 billion (2023) |
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| Import partner | Spain 19.5%, China 11.2%, Germany 5.26%, United States 5.2%, Türkiye 5.09%, Italy 4.73% (2020) | |
| Trade With Italy | € 4,760 billion (2023) |
| Population | 36.738.229 (2022) |
| Population Growth | 0,91% (2022 est.) |
| Ethnicities | Arab-Berber 99%, others 1% |
| Languages | Arabic (official), Berber (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (the language of business, government, and diplomacy) |
| Religions | Muslims 99% (official; practically all Sunnis, <0.1% Shia), others 1% (includes Christians, Jews, and Baha'i); note - Jews about 6,000 |
| Urbanization | 64,6% (2022 est.) |
| Literacy | 73.8% |
Independent since 1952, after the end of the French and Spanish protectorates and the International Zone of Tangiers, the Kingdom of Morocco is located at the far northwestern end of the Maghreb region in North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south. Its population is estimated to be 36.7 million people and is mainly composed of two ethno-linguistic groups, Imaziɣen and Arabs. Morocco is also home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world. The country’s official languages are Arabic and Tamaziɣt.
Morocco’s political stability and its economic growth forecast make it stand out in the Maghreb region. For Italy, it is a strategic country and the intensification of relations between Rome and Rabat represents an opportunity for the entire Mediterranean area.
Italy is the third destination in Europe for Moroccan migrants, with the Moroccan community in Italy estimated at 450,000 people and growing. According to the World Bank, remittances from Moroccans living abroad reached 6.57 percent of the country’s GDP - its largest source of revenues after tourism.
Italy is Morocco’s sixth trade partner for both imports and exports, and it enjoys a positive trade balance. Over 252 Italian companies are currently present in the country. In 2019, Italy and Morocco signed a multidimensional strategic partnership. Some of the commitments taken include: political, diplomatic and intelligence cooperation; the management of regional and international challenges; the fight against international terrorism and crime; the consolidation of economic, trade and financial relations; the fight against irregular migration flows and human trafficking; and the strengthening of cultural and scientific cooperation.
Since 2008, the European Union has granted Morocco “advanced status", facilitating collaboration with European countries.
