Tanger Med and Casablanca among the elite of global ports

According to the inter-Arab institution Dhaman, these two hubs are among the elite of a network evaluating more than 930 international terminals. The sectoral report specifies that "maritime transport in the region has attracted 146 foreign projects" over the past twenty-three years, totaling nearly $4 billion in investments.

The merchant fleet confirms this trajectory with 2,900 ships recorded in 2025. This 4% increase brings the total capacity to 109 million metric tons, giving Arab countries a 5% share of the global shipping volume, while six nations have injected $218 million into intra-regional projects.

Operational activity is aligned with this sustained pace. In 2023, the region loaded 1.6 billion tons of goods, a flow dominated 58% by hydrocarbons. At the same time, the handling volume has jumped 19% in four years within the ten main ports in the area.

Foreign trade related to maritime services exceeded $53 billion in 2024, marking a 12% increase. This financial vitality is directly driven by Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, which maintain their lead in the continuous improvement of regional connectivity.