Morocco’s ambitious modernization program highlighted in a US think tank analysis

Morocco’s modernization program was highlighted as “ambitious” in an analysis by US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which pointed out that the Kingdom has successfully inserted itself into global value chains.

“The kingdom’s trajectory in the last quarter century has been characterized by an ambitious modernization program, greater sustainability, and entry into global value chains, despite socioeconomic challenges,” Alexandre Kateb pointed out in the analysis.

The Kingdom has successfully inserted itself into global value chains and made the best of this insertion by attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) and building an export-driven industry, the Washington-based think tank noted.

Regarding Morocco’s achievements at the socio-economic level, the analyst said that between 1998 and 2023, average life expectancy increased by nine years, reaching around seventy-five years, income per capita doubled in inflation-adjusted terms, and the expected years of schooling almost doubled.

The absolute poverty rate declined dramatically, dropping from 15.3 percent in 2001 to 1.7 percent in 2019, the analyst stressed, adding that every rural Moroccan now has access to electricity and drinking water, up from less than half in 2000.

The analysis also mentioned the significant infrastructure developed throughout the Kingdom, including the port of Tanger Med which has become “the largest container port in the Mediterranean”, and noted that the Kingdom pioneered the introduction of high-speed rail in Africa.

Morocco has also become the continent’s leading producer and exporter of cars, surpassing South Africa, the US think tank pointed out.

The country’s air transport, roads, and ports now meet the standards of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it said.

Furthermore, the Kingdom “has orchestrated a shift toward sub-Saharan Africa,” while positioning itself as “a global connector across an increasingly multipolar geopolitical landscape,” Alexandre Kateb stressed.

Since its return to the African Union in 2017, the Kingdom has increased its engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa in several sectors, including banking, insurance, telecommunications and construction, the think tank underlined.

In this regard, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace mentioned the Atlantic Initiative, launched by King Mohammed VI, which aims to create durable economic relations among twenty-three countries located along Africa’s Atlantic coast.

Morocco has sought to expand and diversify its foreign economic partnerships through a range of free-trade agreements, cooperation accords, and strategic initiatives, while maintaining strong ties with the United States and the European Union.

The analyst, who pointed out that the Kingdom has also strengthened its relations with China, explained that “one outcome of this Sino-Moroccan cooperation is the Tangier Tech City Project launched in 2017, which is expected to host 200 Chinese technology companies upon its completion by 2027.” “Potentially more important, as it unlocks Chinese funding for infrastructure projects and corporate joint ventures, is Morocco’s signing of a Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China in 2022.”

Concomitantly, Morocco has initiated a shift toward greater sustainability, setting ambitious targets for renewable energy and water conservation, the think tank stressed, noting that Morocco has since 2009 undertaken a shift toward a more sustainable growth model following the adoption of the National Energy Strategy.

Morocco set a new target of a 52 percent share of renewables in its energy mix by 2030, up from an initial 42 percent goal, it said, adding that a landmark accomplishment of this policy is the construction of the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) complex, Noor.

“As of 2023, renewable energy sources account for 37 percent of Morocco’s installed electricity generation capacity, with the bulk consisting of wind power and hydropower,” the analyst commented.