"In this exceptional context, we welcome the decision of HM the King to create the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, which is tasked with financing the economic recovery plan. This fund is a real catalyst," Mokaddem told MAP.

The said fund will give new impetus to the investment dynamic by supporting, in particular, strategic business sectors and backing structuring projects, within the framework of public-private partnerships, she added.

"This is the whole point of our action. Our operations in Morocco therefore fit perfectly into this vision and logic of intervention which prioritize investment and promote industrialization with high value added, with the aim of ensuring decent jobs," she added.

Mokaddem noted that, currently, the AfDB is implementing 35 operations representing 3.7 billion dollars, noting that these commitments are distributed among various sectors (health, energy, transport, water and sanitation, human development, Agriculture, etc.).

For the Bank, the Kingdom is a true strategic partner, she said. "In more than fifty years of presence, we have had nearly 170 operations which have mobilized more than 10 billion dollars".

This partnership is bearing its fruit, said Mokaddem, noting that between 2008 and 2018, 3.5 million people had access to drinking water and sanitation and 8.5 million people, including more than four million women, benefited from better health services.

In the strategic energy sector, nearly seven million people were connected to the electricity grid, while 16 million people were able to have better access to transport infrastructure.