Morocco Gears Up for World Cup 2030 with Massive Infrastructure Push

While the sporting aspect is obviously central, the impact of these events goes far beyond the football pitches. "The 2030 World Cup will not only be a sporting event, but also an opportunity to strengthen the dynamic growth of the national economy," said Fouzi Lekjaa, the minister delegate in charge of the budget and president of the World Cup organizing committee.

To cope with the expected influx of visitors, Morocco is embarking on a vast program to modernize its infrastructure. Major works are planned to expand and modernize airports, improve road networks and strengthen the accommodation capacities of the host cities. "The level of mobilization will be reinforced to upgrade the stadiums," said Mr. Lekjaa. Six existing stadiums will be renovated and a new stadium, presented as "the largest and best football monument in the world", will emerge in Benslimane, with an impressive capacity of 115,000 spectators.

Tourism, a key sector of the Moroccan economy, is at the heart of the concerns. These events encourage the continued implementation of the roadmap and coordination with all partners to organize these events under the best conditions, said Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism. The stated objective is ambitious: to attract 17.5 million tourists by 2026, then 26 million by 2030, and thus place Morocco among the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

To achieve this goal, the government has implemented a hotel industry modernization program, with advantageous loans to encourage hoteliers to renovate their establishments. This program aims to accelerate the modernization of classified tourist accommodation establishments, in order to renew 25,000 rooms with an expected investment exceeding 4 billion dirhams, according to a press release from the Ministry of Tourism.

Beyond the economic and tourism fallout, the organization of the 2030 World Cup and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is seen as a tremendous vector of influence for Morocco. An opportunity to promote the image of a modern, dynamic and open-to-the-world country. A bet on the future, in short, for the Kingdom.