Morocco, Catalonia sign MoUs worth $54 million

RABAT - Morocco’s Ministry of Investment and the main Catalan employers' confederation, Foment del Treball,  signed on Wednesday four Memoranda of Understanding in Rabat for a total amount of 500 million dirhams ($54 million), during a group visit of Spanish companies.

These industrial projects, led by companies based in Spain’s Catalonia, are expected to create more than 700 direct jobs in the cities of Tangier, Tetouan, and Kenitra. They cover fields in the automotive industry, waste recovery, packaging, and construction materials.

The Catalan delegation was headed by the President of Foment del Treball , Josep Sánchez Llibre, and included around fifteen companies.

"These commitments demonstrate Morocco's ability to convert economic exchanges into tangible projects, capable of opening up real prospects for its youth ," said Morocco’s Minister Delegate for Investment, Karim Zidane. The minister stressed the favorable combination of a series of reforms, including the dematerialization of procedures and the increased role of regional investment centers (CRI), which have contributed to Morocco’s attractiveness.

The arrival of these Catalan investments is part of a broader framework of economic rapprochement between Rabat and Madrid. 

This direction was illustrated by the recent stops of the Morocco Now series of meetings, organized in Barcelona in January 2024, then in Madrid in April 2025.

"Catalan companies came to Morocco with the clear intention of establishing their long-term industrial development here," said Josep Sánchez Llibre.

"We will return before the end of next year with a new large delegation," he added.

The Spanish ambassador to Rabat, Enrique Ojeda Vila, welcomed the momentum, which he considered a natural extension of an already close bilateral economic relationship. 

"Morocco and Spain have become key partners for each other, both in terms of the density of trade and the stability of commercial relations ," said Vila.

Adil Rais, co-president of the Morocco-Spain Economic Council (CEMAES), said these agreements reflect a shared desire to strengthen a structured business relationship. 

Rais said that CEMAES was committed to deepening the strategic relationship between the two economies, with the aim of making Spain the leading investor in Morocco.