Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, stated on November 27, that Morocco, aware of the importance of the sea, has made the improvement of its infrastructure, particularly ports and logistics, a strategic priority over the past two decades.
Intervening at the 33rd session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly, Abdeljalil recalled that Morocco currently boasts 43 ports, 14 of which are open to international trade, accounting for over 96% of the country’s foreign trade, adding that these ports will be strengthened with projects for the port of Nador on the western Mediterranean and the port of Dakhla on the Atlantic.
The Moroccan minister noted that thanks to this infrastructure, which complies with IMO standards, Morocco enjoys exceptional maritime activity, transporting over 195 million tons of goods, five million passengers, and one million vehicles annually.
The Moroccan official added that approximately nine million containers are handled in the ports connecting Morocco to 80 countries and 180 ports worldwide, ranking the Kingdom 20th in the world in terms of maritime connectivity, particularly thanks to the Tanger Med port complex.
Minister Abdeljalil also stated that His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s vision to strengthen the Kingdom’s Atlantic dimension, in parallel with Morocco’s strong links with Europe through the Mediterranean, will promote the Atlantic seaboard as a gateway to Africa and a window for Morocco’s openness to the Americas.
“The aim is to transform this coastline into an area of human communication, economic integration, and continental and international influence, in addition to facilitating connections between the various components of this coast, as well as providing means of transport and logistics stations,” explained Minister Abdeljalil.
The official also praised the adoption by the Organization of a strategy to overcome the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, as part of a collective commitment by its members to a sustainable and environmentally friendly maritime industry.
The minister shed light on the efforts of the various committees to develop a regulatory framework for autonomous maritime vessels, demonstrating the Organization’s openness to cutting-edge technologies to shape the future of maritime operations.
“Additionally, international technical cooperation, the exchange of knowledge and practices, capacity building in terms of expertise, resources, and operational skills, as well as the establishment of a platform to achieve the objectives defined in the strategic plan, are essential elements through which IMO can play a central role in bridging gaps between nations,” stressed the Moroccan official.
Minister Abdeljalil recalled that Morocco makes valuable technical contributions through the organization’s various organs and joins efforts to reform the Council and draft the organization’s strategic plan for the period 2024-2029, noting that the Kingdom continually upholds the fundamental values of the United Nations (UN), actively promoting the empowerment of women and linguistic diversity within the organization, while promoting equitable regional representation.
Morocco is represented at the 33rd session of the IMO Assembly, underway until December 6, by a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, and includes officials from the Ministry and public institutions and companies operating in the maritime transport sector.