Morocco Spent $244 million on US Arms in 2016

Morocco remains the first market for US armament industry in North Africa, with sales amounting to $244 million in 2016.

Moroccan media reports said that US weapons represent 96% of Moroccan weapon acquisitions in 2016 compared to 100% ($274 million) in 2015.

Morocco, which earmarks 3% of its GDP to military expenditures, has an army of 200,000 personnel.

Last November, Morocco received a batch of the US-made M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks in the port of Casablanca as part of an order worth $1 billion providing for the supply of 220 Abrams tanks.

Between 2011 and 2015, Morocco spent $6.2 billion on weapon deals.

Morocco was ranked fifth largest customer of French arms industry and the third in the Arab world after Egypt and the UAE in 2016.

Morocco is also the second biggest buyer of Spanish Arms in Africa with imports totaling 452 million dirhams in 2015, Spain’s Trade Ministry said.