Morocco and Spain Revive Plans for Ambitious Gibraltar Strait Tunnel

"We are going to accelerate the studies of the fixed link project of the Strait of Gibraltar that was launched by the two countries forty years ago. A strategic project for Spain and Morocco, but also for Europe and Africa," said Raquel Sánchez, the Spanish Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, during this Morocco-Spain summit. For the head of the Moroccan government, Aziz Akhannouch, this project will lead to "a real revolution at several levels".

The two countries have shown renewed interest in resuming the project in recent months, after the normalization of their relations in April. In November, the Moroccan government council appointed AbdelKébir Zahoud, general manager of the National Company for the Study of the Strait of Gibraltar, under the Ministry of Equipment and Water. For its part, Spain has planned a line of 750,000 euros in its 2023 budget to launch new feasibility studies for the project.

The president of the Moroccan Institute of International Relations, Jawad Kerdoudi, had pointed out in an article that the high cost of the project had been an obstacle to its realization, even if the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, Arab funds or the African Development Fund were ready to support this tunnel construction project that could eventually be used as a gas pipeline between Morocco and Spain, "allowing the transport of gas in both directions".

Spain and Morocco had set up a Spanish-Moroccan joint committee and two study companies: the Spanish Company for Fixed Communications across the Strait of Gibraltar (SECEGSA) in Spain, and the National Company for Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar (SNED) in Morocco. The Joint Committee, composed of ten members (5 Spaniards and 5 Moroccans), meets at least once a semester, in Spain or Morocco. The two companies keep each other informed of the progress and results of the studies.

With a length of 38.7 km, including 27.7 km underwater and 11 km underground, the tunnel will extend between Punta Paloma in Tarifa and Malabata, in the bay of Tangier, with a maximum depth of 300 meters and a maximum slope of 3%. At the transcontinental level, it would have a considerable impact on trade relations between Europe and Africa, promoting better freight traffic, greater productivity of companies and the relocation and creation of companies.