Eight years in the making, and with a final price tag of 6.5 billion dirhams, the Mohammed VI Tower in Rabat-Salé officially opened to media this week, offering the first comprehensive look inside what is now the tallest building in Morocco and one of the most architecturally ambitious structures on the African continent. Inaugurated on April 13 by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, the 55-storey, 250-meter-long tower is the realization of a vision that took root more than half a century ago.
According to news platform le360, the project’s origin story is characteristically Moroccan in its blend of ambition and symbolism. Othman Benjelloun, the financier behind O Capital Group, traces the tower’s conceptual genesis to a 1969 visit to NASA, where he witnessed a simulation ahead of the Apollo 12 lunar mission. The rocket’s form became the building’s silhouette. The design was ultimately entrusted to Spanish architect Rafael de la Hoz — a global reference in high-rise design — working alongside Moroccan architect Hakim Benjelloun and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. Construction was delivered by Belgian group Besix, the firm behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, in partnership with Moroccan contractor TGCC.
The tower’s program is layered vertically. The lower floors house 26 office plateaus, followed by 30 residential apartments. Floors 29 through 49 are occupied by the Waldorf Astoria Rabat-Salé, which opens as the brand’s first and only hotel on the African continent, with 55 keys including 38 suites. Rates start at 9,000 dirhams per night. The hotel’s restaurant, Aldabaran, is a signature concept by chef Alain Ducasse. A ballroom of 1,401 square meters and a Peacock Alley lounge on the 30th floor complete the hospitality offer.
The upper two floors are reserved for the public. The 50th level hosts an augmented-reality heritage experience covering Rabat and Salé’s historical landmarks, while the 51st — the “Cockpit” — houses a permanent exhibition entitled “The Sky Speaks Arabic,” celebrating the astronomical knowledge of the Arab-Andalusian golden age from within a 22-meter panoramic space offering 360-degree views. Public access is priced at 250 dirhams for adults and 80 dirhams for under-18s. Booking slots are already fully taken until at least June, reports le360.
The road to completion was not without difficulty. The original budget of 4 billion dirhams climbed to 6.5 billion due to exceptionally deep foundations — sunk 60 meters into the ground — Covid-19-related delays, and sharp inflation in materials, particularly aluminium. The project mobilized some 2,500 workers and managers representing 15 nationalities. The tower is jointly owned by Bank of Africa (48%), RMA (37%), and O Capital Group (15%), with office and residential commercialization set to launch in the near future.
