King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, presided on Monday in Nouaceur over the launch of Safran Group's new aircraft engine industrial complex, a landmark project that strengthens Morocco's position as a global hub for the aerospace industry. Located within the «Midparc» integrated industrial platform near Casablanca, the complex will include two facilities: one for assembling and testing Safran aircraft engines, and another for maintaining and repairing next-generation LEAP engines. These investments reflect Morocco's growing competitiveness in advanced manufacturing and consolidate its long-standing partnership with the French aerospace leader. According to Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour, Morocco's aeronautics exports have soared from under 1 billion dirhams in 2004 to over 26 billion in 2024. The sector now counts more than 150 global operators and serves as a showcase of national industrial know-how. Safran, a partner of Morocco for 25 years, is investing heavily to expand its presence, with a total commitment exceeding 3.4 billion dirhams (around €350 million). The new maintenance plant, valued at 1.3 billion dirhams, will service up to 150 engines annually and create 600 jobs by 2030. The assembly and testing plant, with a capacity of 350 LEAP-1A engines per year, the model used in Airbus A320 Neo aircraft, represents an additional 2.1 billion dirham investment and will generate 300 high-skilled jobs by 2029. Safran CEO Olivier Andriès emphasized that the choice to expand in Morocco was based on the country's skilled workforce, modern infrastructure, and stable economic environment. «We don't produce in Morocco but with Morocco», added Safran Chairman Ross McInnes, underlining the strength of Franco-Moroccan cooperation in aerospace. Three agreements were signed during the ceremony, including one for renewable energy supply to Safran's Moroccan sites. Construction officially began following the unveiling of the LEAP-1A engine, marking another step in Morocco's rise as a key player in the global aviation value chain.
