Morocco’s Economic Transformation: 20 Years Under King Mohammed VI

King Mohammed VI, the moderator, can be credited with a positive balance sheet. Under his reign, Morocco has made long strides in the economic and on some sensitive social fronts. In 20 years, the country has been transformed into a fertile land, capable of hosting major international investments.

Tanger Med, the Mediterranean port emblem, Noor, the largest solar power plant in the world, automotive and aeronautical industries, high-speed line, a set of titanic projects are to be credited to an ambitious Morocco. All these actions are correlated with the reassuring image of a politically stable country.

A modern country and a platform between Africa and the world, Morocco has embarked on a great commercial and political adventure on the African continent, by celebrating its return to the African Union and by joining the privileged circle of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Initiator of the new Constitution in 2011, King Mohammed VI has given an important place to Moroccan women, through a liberalized Family Code and reintegration into the associative and economic fabric. On the other hand, freedom of expression, although there are still obstacles at the level of the press, is experiencing a positive turn. The Hassanian repressions are over.

Viewed from a social angle, the canvas still presents black spots that the country still cannot overcome. Ranked 123rd out of 189 nations, in terms of the Human Development Program established by the United Nations, Morocco lags behind in sensitive areas such as education, per capita income, life expectancy, to name a few.

The unemployment rate is approaching alarming figures and 15-25 year olds are excluded from the country’s wealth. Then comes the glaring observation of the useful and useless Morocco, particularly in the rural environment. The vertical management adopted by the authorities has only amplified the gap between urban and rural areas. The remote regions of the Kingdom still lack road and health infrastructure, confining them in glaring poverty.