Morocco’s external accounts showed strong momentum in the first half of 2026, driven by a recovering tourism sector, steady support from its diaspora and an unprecedented surge of foreign investor interest, according to Foreign Exchange Office data relayed by several media, which described the results as a particularly welcome signal of resilience against a backdrop of hesitant global growth forecasts.
Tourism remained the primary driver of currency inflows, with travel receipts reaching 64.89 billion dirhams between January and June, up 15.9 percent year on year, while spending by Moroccan residents traveling abroad rose a more modest 3.6 percent to 16.09 billion dirhams. That left the tourism balance with a surplus of 48.8 billion dirhams, up more than 20 percent from the same period last year.
Moroccan expatriates added a second pillar of stability, with remittances rising 9.9 percent to 61.48 billion dirhams over the same six months, providing a steady offset to the uncertainty still weighing on the country’s agricultural output amid recurring water stress.
The more striking shift came in foreign direct investment, where net inbound flows jumped 31.5 percent to 26.161 billion dirhams by the end of the first half, as Morocco deepens strategic industrial sectors including automotive, aerospace and renewable energy, alongside major infrastructure projects tied to its co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup.
Moroccan capital is also expanding abroad, with net outbound direct investment reaching 5.711 billion dirhams as domestic banks, insurers, telecom operators and industrial groups continue to build out their presence internationally, particularly across the African continent, reinforcing the kingdom’s ambitions as a regional financial and logistics hub.
