Morocco

As a rapidly growing country with only modest energy resources, Morocco’s dependence on external power supplies continued to increase over 2012, with the value of energy imports jumping 11.9% year-on-year from 2011 to 2012. With 96% of energy needs met by fossil fuel imports, especially oil and coal, the country is in a precarious fiscal position as government budgets grapple with elevated oil...

Agriculture contributed 13.2% of GDP in 2011, up slightly from an average yearly contribution of 13% of GDP between 2006 and 2010. Poor weather conditions in the first quarter of 2012 significantly reduced the seasonal output of many crops. However, efforts to boost investment, restructure the sector and modernise agricultural practices should help to protect against future shocks. The sector is...

The construction sector achieved 4.2% growth in 2011 and has consistently contributed around 5% to 6% of the GDP over the last eight years. Public spending on infrastructure has created opportunities for both local and foreign firms in the last decade. From 2003 to 2012, the government invested nearly Dh180bn (€16m) in basic infrastructure in an effort to improve capacity and efficiency. Foreign...

Now in the midst of a three-stage strategic plan to develop the transport sector and position the country as a regional hub for air and maritime traffic, Morocco has experienced remarkable growth in transport networks in recent years. The government invested some €10.67bn between 2008 and 2012 for infrastructure building and introduced liberalisation and competitiveness reforms. To maximise the...

With a new set of laws set to be passed in 2013 to replace the existing mining code, the government is seeking to open the sector to additional foreign investment and offer more concessions to extract and process the country’s mineral wealth. Phosphates mining accounted for 92.7% of the sector’s total production in 2011. Other mineral resources include gold, silver, barite, cobalt, copper,...

Despite its relative stability, the kingdom’s tourism sector experienced a number of difficulties over the past two years as the region has struggled with political unrest. However, its strength and speedy recovery has shown just how important tourism is to the Moroccan economy, with the country attracting 9.38m visitors in 2012. Oversight of the sector is set to be reorganised, with management...