La competitiva industria aeronáutica de Marruecos
During the inauguration of the new assembly plant of the Belgian company Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA) in Nouaceur, the secretary general of the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Trade, Taoufiq Moucharraf, highlighted the good state of the country's aeronautical industry. According to Moucharraf, Morocco has "one of the most competitive aeronautical platforms in the world".
The secretary general stressed that the Kingdom, thanks to the guidelines set by the monarch Mohammed VI, has achieved "a deep integration of existing systems" and is working to develop "the areas of space, avionics, interior cabins and services", reports Maroc Diplomatique.
Moucharraf further underlined that the country's aeronautical sector has 142 active and expanding companies, has created 20,000 jobs and turned over $2bn in 2021. Also, local integration has increased by more than 40%, as well as exports, which have increased by 53.3% the first 9 months of the year.
"We have achieved common success and we intend to continue with this second phase of development of the Moroccan aeronautical platform focused on activities with higher added value, resilient to change and in tune with the trends in the sector," Moucharraf told the members of the Board of Directors of the Orizio Group, SABCA and representatives of Pilatus.
The Secretary General also expressed Morocco's ambition to "go faster" in order to attract more industries and sectors, such as defence and space. He also pointed out the need to integrate women into the industry.
"The aeronautical sector in Morocco is full of possibilities. It has gained strength and added value, in particular thanks to public-private partnerships," he explained. "Together we will continue our path towards other new successes," he added.
The aeronautics industry is one of the most relevant in the country. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 41% of aircraft parts are of Moroccan origin. Given this importance, the Ministry has set the objective of establishing the aeronautical sector as a priority within the new Industrial Acceleration Plan 2021-2015.
The kingdom has become the region's aerospace hub in recent decades, hosting the headquarters of several foreign companies, such as the American company Honeywell. Last year, the American company opened a new plant dedicated to the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, as did the Le Piston Français group.
Morocco has also given prominence to this industry in its relations with Israel, its new international partner after the two countries re-established ties in December 2020. Last March, Rabat formalised an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) with the aim of boosting bilateral cooperation in this sector.
