Morocco's Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, said the country aims to produce its first aircraft engine by 2027 or 2028, with full capacity expected by 2030. Speaking to Bloomberg TV on Thursday, he explained that this objective reflects years of investment in stability, renewable energy, and human capital. According to Mezzour, these factors were among the main reasons Morocco was chosen over other countries for such high-level manufacturing. His comments came following the launch of Safran's new aircraft engine complex in Nouaceur, near Casablanca, a 3.4-billion-dirham project that includes a LEAP engine maintenance and assembly plant and is expected to create 900 jobs. Mezzour revealed that Morocco aims to produce its first aircraft engine by 2027 or 2028, with full capacity expected by 2030. «Morocco will be among five countries in the world capable of producing aircraft engines of that level», he said, likening the achievement to «reaching the semi-final of the World Cup in manufacturing» Mezzour cited China and the United States as key partners that trust Morocco as a global industrial hub. «We're investing and co-investing with them», he said. In addittion to teh aerospace industry, Mezzour said that in the automotive sector Morocco already has the capacity to produce over one million cars, with plans to increase that to 1.45 million and eventually two million. He added that Morocco is also developing the electric vehicle (EV) and hydrogen industries, emphasizing that the Kingdom is building a full EV battery value chain. «We're developing the EV battery value chain with our partners to deliver batteries for more than one million cars», he said, adding that soon Morocco will be «the only country outside China able to produce the entire EV battery chain, from raw materials to components to the finished car». Asked about recent youth-led protests and frustration over what some see as excessive focus on World Cup investments, Mezzour said efforts are underway «to welcome them into the political arena, make it easier for them to take part in elections and public debate, and provide financial support, covering up to 75% of campaign expenses so they can run for office and present their ideas» «We already have one million Moroccans working in manufacturing», he said, adding that teh government is working on adding another 500,000 jobs. «We have a plan, and we're executing it with trusted partners who continue to invest in Morocco», he concluded.
