Morocco Boosts Military Spending by 32% in Bid for Regional Dominance, SIPRI Report Shows

Morocco has embarked on the modernization of its army as part of the 2017-2022 five-year plan to achieve "regional supremacy". The kingdom has allocated $20 billion over the period to achieve this strategic objective. Despite this significant investment, Morocco is ranked 29th in the world in arms imports, while Algeria is 18th.

Morocco buys its weapons mainly from the United States (76%), France (15%) and China (6.8%). Algeria, on the other hand, has Russia (73%), Germany (10%) and France (5.2%) as its main arms suppliers.

This arms race between the two countries is partly rooted in the conflict in the Sahara. "The territorial dispute between the two countries, linked to the Western Sahara, which has often had a major influence on their military spending policies, continued in 2022," explains SIPRI.

Tensions between Morocco and Algeria have escalated in recent years for various reasons. The Moroccan government and the royal cabinet have initiated a series of dialogue initiatives to try to ease this tension, which threatens the peace and security of the entire region.