Morocco is developing in leaps and bounds

Life in the peaceable Cherifian Kingdom

In 2018, I had heard about the construction of what was called the Bouregreg Tower in Rabat. It was to become the tallest tower on the African continent. I drove by the proposed site, which lies along the Bouregreg River, an inlet separating Sale and Rabat. Materials were being delivered on flatbeds to form the foundation. It looked like a massive undertaking.

I pitched a story to Quartz Africa about the project but they thought it was too early to write about the project. Now Quartz Africa, is out of business, and the Tower is about to open. Or so they say. Opening day has been delayed for some unknown reason.

Back then, I didn’t see how this massive project was going to work. The proposal was to build this structure complete with a luxury hotel, condos, office space, and fine restaurants in a place. I didn’t see the market for office space and the infrastructure of roads, water and energy did not seem available. And that was before Covid and the collapse of commercial real estate office rental market. Bank of Africa (BMCE), based in Morocco, invested nearly $600 Million in this seemingly risky project.

The tower won the “Best Performance in Terms of Engineering Projects or Work Developed by a SME” award at the 15th Annual Caminos Madrid Awards 2022. An SME being a “small to medium-sized enterprise.”

After a delay due to the pandemic, the Mohammed VI tower is in its final stages and will open soon.

The Mohammad VI tower will be the continent’s tallest tower at 250 meters high (55 stories) with clear views of the Atlantic Ocean and the skyline between the twin cities of Rabat and Sale.

But it is amazing to witness the positive economic developments in Morocco over the past five years.

High speed rail

In French, it is called the TGV or train à grande vitesse. In America, they cannot call it anything because, despite the economic power and construction capacity of the US, high speed train do not exist. Sadly. Admittedly, America is behind the times.

Last year, while in Newburgh NY, I took the train from Beacon to Grand Central Station. What a shame. I swear I rode the same old train that boarded as a kid with my family. The train car and the seats were at least 70 years old. In Morocco, I can now board a TGV and travel to Tangier from Casablance in two hours and ten minutes. By car, it is almost a five-hour ride on the autoroute. I take first class so I can work and sit in the lounge and take coffee and other treats. The trains are clean, staitions are brand new, lounges are luxurious and the professional staff welcomes me.

In California, there is a high speed train project in which billions have been spent on planning and design since 1996. They started actual construction in 2015 and propose a start date of 2026. I doubt it because the project has faced delays, cost overruns, and political chicanery. Whereas Morocco’s high speed train service is on schedule in its expansion and will extend its system to Marrakesh and Agadir, two large southern cities. Also, Morocco recently signed contracts to purchase new trains from France to replace their old cars on its regular lines.

Grand Opera House

I was also doubtful about the construction of a Grand Opera House which is near the tower. This was also pre-Covid. Even then, local Moroccans rarely go to live indoor performances. There was and still is a huge market for outdoor musical and comedy festivals in big cities like Marrakesh and Rabat. But I could not imagine people buying tickets to the opera or a philharmonic concert.

The Grand Theatre of Rabat is an amazing structure designed by the renown Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. She had started her concept of the project in 2010 and constructed started in 2014. Sadly, Hadid passed away in 2016 and this performing arts center is one of her last projects.

Local fishermen dock their boats along the Bouregreg River facing the Grand Theater of Rabat and the Mohammed VI Tower under construction.

Morocco is on the incline, new desalination plants, hospitals, and the world’s largest soccer stadium in time for 2030 World Cup to be shared with Spain and Portugal.

I was driving on the corniche in Rabat overlooking the Atlantic. They just finished another large mall (there are six now) and condos with ocean views.

I stopped in front of a construction site of a massive stadium like building. What is being built here, I asked the security guard. He replied: a hockey and ice skating stadium.

Goodness… My first thought was nobody here knows how to even ice skate. But I know Moroccans, they were learn and became the best. So much positive energy and development happening.

Morocco is certainly on the rise.

I will be able to ice skate without having to wait for a Canadian winter.