Speaking at the monthly House of Representatives' plenary session devoted to general policy questions, on “basic infrastructure as lever for social and economic development,” Akhannouch said that the priority given to infrastructure is part of an ambitious societal project and a clear, global vision based on a balance between the economic and social dimensions, while guaranteeing territorial justice.

The major strategic infrastructure projects are one of the most salient aspects of the modernization and development that the Kingdom is undergoing under the reign of HM the King, he added, noting that these projects are a lever for all ambitious sectoral and development strategies, enabling Morocco to position itself as a continental and regional leader in this field.

In this regard, Akhannouch recalled that Morocco held the first place in Africa in infrastructure development, with a score of 85.8%, according to the 2024 Index of African Governance published in October.

“The Tanger-Med Port now holds the first place as the largest container port in the Mediterranean basin and in Africa,” he added, highlighting the major achievements in infrastructure, which define the outlines of the Morocco of today and tomorrow.

In figures, he mentioned the progress made by Morocco in 25 years in terms of infrastructure construction and modernization, with a motorway network that has grown from 80 km in 1999 to 1,800 km today. The Kingdom also ranks 16th in the world in terms of road density and quality, with almost 58,000 km, including 2,164 km of motorways, and a rate of paved roads of around 80%.

Akhannouch added that 2,309 km of railway lines have been built, including 200 km of high-speed lines and 64% of electrified lines, while the number of airports has risen from 15 in 1999 to 25 today, including 19 international airports spread across the Kingdom.

The number of ports has risen from 24 in 1999 to 43 today, including 14 multi-purpose commercial ports, 22 fishing ports and 7 marinas, he said, adding that the number of dams has risen from 95 in 1999 to 154 large dams today, with a capacity exceeding 20 billion cubic meters.

The Head of Government stressed that, as part of this ambitious futuristic vision, the government, since its investiture, launched several major infrastructure projects in several fields, aiming to strengthen Morocco’s accessibility and facilitate its territorial integration through a logistic network in line with international standards.

He welcomed international rankings which put Morocco at the very top of African and Arab countries in terms of infrastructure quality, thus reinforcing its competitiveness and attractiveness nationally and internationally.

Speaking on rail transport, Akhannouch said that the government is working to extend the high-speed Kenitra-Marrakech line, over 430 km at a cost of MAD 53 billion, also connecting the Rabat and Casablanca airports. This line will later extend 240 km from Marrakech to Agadir, he pointed out.

As for air transport, he recalled that the improvement of the airport network, coupled with the implementation of the tourism roadmap, has enabled Morocco to reach air traffic records with 27.1 million passengers in 2023 compared with 25.1 million in 2019, noting that during the first nine months of 2024, a new record of 24.3 million passengers was achieved, up 19.7% on the same period last year.

He added that as part of the preparations for the 2030 World Cup, the Mohammed V International Airport will be modernized and expanded to accommodate 23.3 million passengers, noting that this involved constructing a third runway and reinforcing the existing terminal with new facilities.  

Similarly, the capacity of Marrakech airport will be increased to accommodate 14 million passengers by 2030, thanks to the improvement and doubling of the surface area of its terminal, as well as the extension of the aircraft holding area, he said.  

In the same vein, the government will renew Agadir airport to boost its capacity to 6.3 million passengers by 2030, by rehabilitating and enlarging the existing terminal and improving the external infrastructure, Akhannouch added.  

With regard to maritime transport, he stressed that the government is aware of the importance of port infrastructures for the national economy, as the majority of Morocco's foreign trade is carried out by sea, which constitutes a lever for economic integration.  

He explained that, on His Majesty the King’s High Instructions, the government is developing the maritime connectivity network by constructing several ports such as Nador West Med, at a cost of MAD 11.56 billion, with work scheduled for completion in the early months of 2025, as well as the new Dakhla Atlantic port, with an investment of nearly MAD 13 billion.