Morocco attracts 150 aerospace firms
Morocco is cementing its position as a global aerospace hub after attracting 150 companies operating factories nationwide and generating 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in annual revenue, a Moroccan Minister has said.
Speaking to French newspaper 'Le Point' at the renowned Paris Air Show, Minister of Industry and Commerce Ryad Mezzour said these projects are concentrated in Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat and Fez
In his comments, published by Morocco's newspapers, he said these enterprises provide full-time employment to 26,000 individuals and that their primary focus include producing fuselages, structural components, interior furnishings, and wiring systems.
Mezzour also highlighted collaboration between national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and French aerospace giant Safran concerning the CFM engine.
'During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco last October, an agreement was signed extending the partnership to the next-generation CFM-Leap engine,' the Minister said.
'Morocco's competitive edge lies in its ability to handle advanced technology, with 23,000 engineers graduating annually, 400 of whom enter the aerospace field…production costs are competitive at €25 per hour, compared to €100-120 in Europe or the US,' he said.
Looking ahead, the minister outlined ambitious plans: 'We will expand our offer to cabin fittings, landing gear manufacturing, and within ten years, we think we can offer a final assembly line for commercial aircraft.'
He revealed that RAM is currently exploring the acquisition of the Airbus A220, a narrow-body jet well-suited for its European routes.
'A study is underway by RAM for procuring the Airbus A220, a small-to-medium range jet suited for its European network,' he said.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 days ago
- The National
UK drops mega-project to transport energy underwater from Morocco
The UK has decided to abandon a mega-project intended to bring solar and wind energy from Morocco for use by domestic consumers. It stepped back from a plan to transmit power generated in Tan-tan province in Morocco's south through what would have been the world's longest underwater power cable and is pivoting to other projects seen as less risky, British energy officials said. The British government, which is aiming to largely decarbonise its electricity sector by 2030, said it would no longer support the £25 billion ($33 billion) scheme due to a 'high level of inherent risk, related to both delivery and security". It said it believed domestic projects could offer better economic benefits. "The government has concluded that it is not in the UK national interest at this time to continue further consideration of support for the Morocco-UK Power Project," energy department minister Michael Shanks said in a written statement to parliament. He added the project did not clearly align strategically with the government's mission to create home-grown power in the UK. The project had originally been designated by the previous Conservative government as being of "national significance" but faced funding and regulatory hurdles. The Morocco-UK Power Project was announced by British company Xlinks in 2021 as part of a drive to create a global energy grid and ship power from places where it is cheap to produce to high-demand markets. Xlinks said the scheme would provide an equivalent of 8 per cent of Britain's current electricity needs, or about seven million homes. According to Xlinks, the project would have lowered wholesale electricity prices by 9 per cent and reduced the UK sector's carbon emissions by about 10 per cent. 'There are stronger alternative options that we should focus our attention on," Mr Shanks said, noting the inherent risk for taxpayers and consumers. The UK relies heavily on natural gas for its energy needs and aims to generate all of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. It closed its last coal-fired power plant last year and offered some financing to a string of wind, solar and energy storage projects to help meet its goal. Such large-scale infrastructure projects typically rely on some government support or fixed prices per megawatt-hour. Xlinks had sought government backing with a 25-year contract guaranteeing a fixed price for the electricity, and has already received loans from investors including France's Total Energies and development bank Africa Finance Corporation. Xlinks board chairman, former Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, said the company would continue pursuing the project despite the government's decision. 'We are hugely surprised and bitterly disappointed," he said, noting the company believed its project would offer electricity at cheaper rates and more quickly than other proposals, including to expand nuclear power. 'Over £100 million from leading energy sector players has already been spent on project development and demand from lenders to participate in the construction phase is greater than we require," he said. "We are now working to unlock the potential of the project and maximise its value for all parties in a different way." The Xlinks scheme is one of several projects that reflect how European countries are looking to North Africa for clean energy, testing whether it is cheaper to generate renewable power in ideal conditions far away and ship it, or to produce it domestically. The project would transmit electricity through nearly 4,000km of underwater cables encased in protective plastic and steel, with minimal transmission loss. If completed, it would be the world's largest interconnector, though smaller subsea cable networks already link the UK to neighbouring European countries. In addition, transmission projects in Tunisia and Egypt aim to link solar and wind farms to Italy and Greece. Britain is one of the leading players in renewable energy in Europe due to onshore and offshore wind power but still trails behind Scandinavian countries, which draw a large part of their electricity from wind and hydroelectric dams. The UK has set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels and is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. The government recently pledged more than £30 billion to relaunch nuclear power as an essential step for energy security and its climate ambitions.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Khaleej Times
India's toy industry eyes Middle East expansion via UAE gateway
India's toy sector is rapidly reshaping the global landscape, propelled by strategic policy interventions including the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa). Fuelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for local manufacturing and zero-duty access to the UAE market, India has witnessed a dramatic transformation: toy exports have soared by a remarkable 240 per cent while imports have been halved in the past decade. This phenomenal growth positions India to aggressively push high-quality toys to the UAE and beyond, cementing its role as a global production powerhouse. The Toy Biz 2025 exhibition (July 4-7, New Delhi), featuring nearly 400 Indian brands and anticipating presence from Minister Piyush Goyal, offers a direct channel for international buyers to tap into India's evolving and inventive production prowess. 'The UAE's zero-duty access gives Indian manufacturers like us a gateway into a high-potential, quality-conscious market,' stated Pawan Gupta, Managing Director - RPH India and Middle East, and Head Convener of The Toy Association of India. 'This shift in India's toy exports isn't just encouraging — it's strategic. However, competing globally means more than just low cost — it means creating IP-driven toys, investing in child-safe innovation, and delivering on storytelling. The government has laid the foundation; now it's on us to evolve from contract manufacturers to brand creators. We must keep investing in R&D, build stronger brands and ensure that 'Made in India' stands for imagination, not just affordability.' The domestic market, currently valued at $1.9 billion, is projected to reach $3 billion by 2028, underscoring India's ascent as a global leader in toy production. This momentum is further bolstered by regulatory oversight, strategic promotion of local manufacturing clusters, and significant investments from major global players who have established manufacturing bases in India, contributing substantially to local value addition. The industry's competitive edge is driven by lower labour costs, abundant raw materials, and efficient manufacturing infrastructure. New trends, including IoT-enabled toys and sustainability-focused practices, are further propelling the sector into future-ready territory, while exports continue to diversify geographically across the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, and critically, the Middle East and Africa. In a concerted effort to accelerate this upward momentum, Invest India, in collaboration with The Toy Association of India (TAI), will host the third edition of the Global Toys CEO Meet on July 4 at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. This event, themed 'Innovate & Play', will convene leading stakeholders, including domestic and global toy brands, senior government officials, and large-scale retailers. The Global Toys CEO Meet is an integral part of the 16th Toy Biz International B2B Exhibition, South Asia's largest toy fair, running from July 4th to 7th, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The consistent collaborative efforts between the Indian toy industry and the government are essential to firmly positioning India as a competitive alternative to established toy manufacturing hubs across Asia.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Oman: Manufacturing sector contributes $10bln to national economy
Muscat – The manufacturing sector recorded an annual growth rate of 14.2% with its contribution to the national economy rising to RO4.149bn in 2024 from RO2.438bn in 2020, H E Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, stated to Majlis A'Shura on Wednesday. Presenting the ministry's progress report, H E Yousef said the growth reflects outcomes of the 10th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) which is focused on economic diversification and industrial development. The plan prioritises foreign investment, industrial innovation and infrastructure support. He cited strategic infrastructure upgrades, improved investor services and targeted financing programmes as key enablers. The manufacturing sector continued to lead economic growth with key expansions in the food, chemical, mining and medical industries. Registered industrial establishments grew from 180 in 2020 to 243 in 2024, an average annual increase of 7.7%. Thirty-two major industrial projects worth over RO878mn were licensed during this period, in line with the government's goal to raise the sector's contribution to RO11.648bn by 2040. The broader trade sector expanded from RO2.627bn in 2020 to RO3.392bn in 2024, growing at an annual rate of 6.6%. Real estate and professional services rose to RO2.277bn from RO1.951bn, showing an annual growth of 3.9%. Foreign direct investment doubled reaching RO30.042bn in 2024 from RO14.261bn in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate of 15.4%. Investment was concentrated in the energy, mining, chemicals and logistics sectors. Fee reductions, licensing simplifications and upgraded infrastructure played a major role in attracting investors. The Invest in Oman digital platform expanded to offer 68 electronic services, helping streamline licensing and registration. Foreign investor registration fee was cut to RO150 annually, and several fees were waived off to promote entrepreneurship. By 2024, Oman had more than 872,000 commercial registrations. Efforts to enhance exports included the launch of the National Export Development Strategy, 98 targeted marketing studies and the 'Made in Oman' platform to promote local products. Support was extended to 52 companies participating in overseas exhibitions. In e-commerce, the number of registered online stores grew by 236.4% between 2020 and 2024. Intellectual property also saw improvements. Trademark registrations rose to 487 in 2024 from 412 in 2020, and patent applications increased from 35 to 96. A national IP strategy was launched to support innovation and foster the creative economy. The ministry also introduced legislation to regulate social media marketing, commercial naming, e-commerce, exhibitions and fair competition. Programmes like 'Own It', 'Localisation' and 'Made in Oman' were launched in partnership with Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning to deepen local content and support SMEs. Despite the gains, the minister acknowledged challenges including weak local supply chains, dependence on imports and productivity gaps. Moving forward, H E Yousef said Oman will prioritise industrial innovation, research and adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, focusing on high-potential sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and minerals to meet Oman Vision 2040 targets. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
