Morocco will open two new deepwater ports, one on the Mediterranean in 2026 and another on the Atlantic in 2028, as part of efforts to replicate the success of Tanger Med, Africa’s largest port, Equipment and Water Minister Nizar Baraka said.
Nador West Med, currently under construction, is scheduled to become operational in the second half of 2026.
The port will offer 800 hectares for industrial activity, with expansion plans reaching 5,000 hectares, exceeding Tanger Med’s industrial zones, Baraka told Reuters.
It will also host Morocco’s first liquefied natural gas terminal, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), connected by pipeline to industrial hubs in the northwest, supporting Morocco’s push to increase natural gas and renewable energy investments and reduce reliance on coal.
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On the Atlantic coast, Morocco is building a $1 billion port in Dakhla, located in the disputed Western Sahara region.
The project includes 1,600 hectares dedicated to industrial development and 5,200 hectares of farmland irrigated with desalinated water.
“The port will be ready in 2028 and will be Morocco’s deepest at 23 meters,” Baraka said, noting the depth would support heavy industries processing raw materials from Sahel countries.
Officials are promoting Dakhla as a gateway for landlocked Sahel nations to global markets. Both the Nador and Dakhla ports will feature quays designed for exporting green hydrogen once production begins, Baraka added.
When completed, the ports will become Morocco’s third and fourth deepwater facilities after Tanger Med and Jorf Lasfar, the Atlantic hub for energy, bulk cargo, and phosphate exports.
By 2024, industrial zones near Tanger Med hosted 1,400 companies employing 130,000 workers in sectors including automotive, aeronautics, textiles, agri-food, and renewable energy, according to official figures.
Morocco is also studying the construction of another Atlantic port in Tan-Tan in partnership with green hydrogen investors. “We are conducting studies to decide the appropriate size of the port,” Baraka said.
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Image Credit: Asharq Al-Awsat
