Economist Warns 2030 World Cup Won’t Solve Morocco’s Economic Challenges

Speaking on Saturday during a study day organized in Rabat by the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, Jadri stated that the 2030 World Cup will not be the panacea to the problem of unemployment in Morocco, stressing the need to implement sustainable policies and long-term strategic plans to meet the economic challenges of the kingdom. Certainly, the World Cup will attract significant investments in the infrastructure, tourism and services sectors, contributing to job creation and boosting economic activity in the short term. But these one-off opportunities cannot constitute a sustainable solution to the problem of unemployment, he argued, warning against the risk of an increase in the unemployment rate after this global sporting event.

The expert calls for caution, in view of international experiences in organizing the World Cup, noting that in some cases, massive and poorly planned investments have led to significant public debt for the host countries. That is why he called on the authorities of the kingdom to find a balance between the necessary investments to ensure the success of the organization and the guarantee of long-term financial stability. For Jadri, support for the private sector, the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship, the creation of a business climate favorable to long-term national and foreign investment, are essential to sustainably solve the issue of unemployment.

The organization of the World Cup will contribute to strengthening Morocco’s image on the international scene as an essential tourist destination, and in the long term, to the economic and social development of the kingdom, he concluded. For his part, Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister in charge of the Budget and President of the 2030 World Cup Committee, assured that the investments planned for the 2030 World Cup are part of a development plan established for years. "Morocco had submitted its candidacy for the World Cup in 1998, but France had won with a single vote difference. The same was true for the 2010 World Cup, which was organized by South Africa. So there has always been a development process aimed at submitting this candidacy and continuously strengthening the Kingdom’s preparation capacities," he explained in a recent statement.