Morocco’s Sports Industry Emerges as Key Economic Driver

In Morocco, the march towards the development of sport continues. In an article titled "What if Morocco’s future passed through sport?", published by Le Figaro, Mathieu Sauvajot, holder of a Master’s degree from the Sorbonne, specialized in issues related to Latin America, and editor at the Observatoire du Sport Business, notes that "the social fabric and represents a powerful lever of social cohesion, an educational instrument, a vector of national pride and, above all, an essential pillar of the local economy." To support his argument, he mentions the creation of the FMPS in 2021. "A real pillar of the national economy, the private sports sector in Morocco is also synonymous with growth and development. With more than 300 companies, employing more than 11,500 employees, including 24% women, this sector generates a cumulative turnover of 21.16 billion Dirhams. Not only does it play a significant role financially, but it also represents a non-negligible share of Morocco’s gross domestic product (GDP), i.e. 1.56%," the publication states.

Jobs dedicated to sport are also created in other sectors such as construction or tourism. In total, around 30,000 jobs could be created in these related sectors. The informal sector is not left out. The author of the article revisited a study conducted by Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) in 2021. It emerges from this study that informal work, "which already represents 30% of Morocco’s GDP, also has a significant footprint in the private sports sector." "The turnover then reaches 27.5 billion Dirhams, i.e. 2% of the kingdom’s GDP, accompanied by the creation of 15,000 jobs," the article editor specifies before analyzing: "Despite the absence of an official publication bringing together all the federations, the available information suggests the presence of at least 350,000 licensees spread over 5,000 sports associations in Morocco. However, this remains well below the number of "free" practitioners who, according to extrapolations, would reach 10 million Moroccans."

The number of jobs needed in the associative environment is estimated at 50,000. "In the end, if the private sports sector (FMPS perimeter) in Morocco represents at least 1.56% of GDP and employs more than 11,500 people, it is legitimate to estimate that the sports industry as a whole exceeds 2.5% of GDP and has more than 140,000 jobs. This economic vitality of the Moroccan sports sector compares favorably to that of other countries, illustrating its crucial role in the national economy," concludes Mathieu Sauvajot, also recalling the exploits of the Atlas Lions at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Morocco became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.