Morocco Anticipates Major Economic Boost from 2030 World Cup Co-Hosting

The co-organization by the trio Morocco-Spain-Portugal of the 2030 World Cup was at the heart of a conference organized at the Hassania School of Public Works (EHTP), on the theme of "The 2030 World Cup, a major socio-economic and cultural boost for Morocco". From the speakers’ interventions, it emerges that the international competition will have significant socio-economic impacts for the kingdom.

Hassan Fekkak, sports director of the Moroccan National Olympic Committee (CNOM) believes that hosting the World Cup represents an extraordinary opportunity for Morocco on the economic, cultural and social levels, reports La Vie éco. According to his explanations, this major sporting event will generate added value in the short and medium term, as Morocco will become "a global showcase" throughout the tournament. For his part, Karim Adyel, a lawyer specializing in international football law and an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is convinced that the 2030 World Cup could increase Morocco’s GDP. To support his argument, he explained that in the fourth quarter of 2022, Qatar’s GDP had jumped 8% thanks to the World Cup, while in South Korea, host of the 2002 edition, real GDP had grown strongly, by +7% compared to its 2001, 2003 and 2004 levels.

In his speech, Ayoub Koutaya, a professor-researcher at the Institute of Sports Sciences of the University Hassan Iᵉʳ, highlighted the material and intangible heritage that Morocco could benefit from. "Morocco will be able to claim assets in terms of sports infrastructure and facilities, which will then have to be valued, with the increase in the number of football fans and the new skills developed at all levels," he explained.