Morocco is steadily emerging as a strategic manufacturing base for Chinese automakers and component suppliers seeking to expand into both North African and European markets, the daily L’Economiste reported.
“This momentum is unfolding in a global automotive landscape undergoing rapid transformation, driven by the rise of electric vehicles and the reconfiguration of international supply chains,” L’Economiste said.
According to the newspaper, the deepening economic cooperation between Rabat and Beijing now prioritizes high tech industrial investment, particularly through the establishment of large scale gigafactories dedicated to electric vehicle batteries and advanced mobility components.
A recent study by Fitch Solutions found that China aims to capitalize on the strong growth potential of the electric vehicle sector in the Middle East and North Africa.
“North Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries present particularly promising markets due to large consumer bases, increasingly supportive public policies for transport electrification, and ambitious government targets for energy transition,” L’Economiste quoted the report as saying.
In this context, the MENA region is benefiting from a broader trend of supply chain realignment, with Chinese firms seeking production bases that offer tariff free access to Europe.
Morocco’s free trade agreements and its geographical proximity to European industrial centers make it a particularly attractive destination, L’Economiste noted.
Morocco captured nearly half of all Chinese automotive investments in the Middle East and North Africa between 2023 and 2025, securing 23 out of 45 total projects.
Over the past two years, Morocco has drawn a growing wave of Chinese foreign direct investment across the industrial spectrum, including auto parts manufacturers, tire producers, wheel and rim makers, industrial component suppliers, and manufacturers of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for electric vehicles.
One of the most significant projects is the Cobco plant in Jorf Lasfar, a 20 billion dirham investment resulting from a partnership between Morocco’s Al Mada investment fund and China’s CNGR Advanced Materials.
Chinese group BTR New Material has also selected the Tanger Tech industrial zone to build a gigafactory for battery materials and cathodes, reinforcing Morocco’s position in the global electric mobility value chain.
In 2024, Morocco also secured one of the largest Chinese investments in the sector. The gigafactory in Kenitra led by Gotion High Tech, was ranked the world’s sixth largest battery manufacturer. The project, with an estimated cost of 65 billion dirhams, is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026, boosting Morocco’s industrial capacity in electric vehicle batteries, L’Economiste said.
