King Mohammed VI Launches Tanger Med 3 Port Project

Rabat (GNP): King Mohammed VI has launched a new phase in the development of Morocco’s port infrastructure. He reviewed progress on the Nador West Med complex, whose first terminal is scheduled to enter service in the coming days, and oversaw the launch of the Tanger Med 3 port project.

According to a statement from the Royal Court, the initiative is part of a strategy to strengthen Morocco’s logistics, industrial and energy capabilities and to expand its place in global trade. The King chaired a working session at the Royal Palace in Rabat to track both projects and set out the next stages. The session followed earlier meetings on major port schemes, notably the one held on 28 January.

Fouad Brini gave a presentation on the progress of works and the future prospects of both facilities. He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Tanger Med Special Agency (TMSA) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nador West Med.

The projects form part of a royal vision for an efficient port ecosystem that can improve Morocco’s competitiveness amid shifts in global value chains. The vision combines economic growth with regional development, mobilises public and private investment, creates jobs and maximises added value in the regions concerned.

Nador West Med is one of the flagship components of that strategy, with public and private investment of 54 billion dirhams to date. Its first container terminal will handle 3.5 million containers a year once fully operational. The second terminal is expected to open in April 2027 with an additional capacity of up to 1.8 million containers a year. Delivering both terminals requires 8 billion dirhams in private investment.

The scheme goes beyond maritime activity to include industrial, logistics and energy platforms. These include a hydrocarbons terminal with a prospective storage capacity of up to 4 million cubic metres, and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal able to process up to 5 billion cubic metres a year. Dedicated terminals for solid bulk and general cargo are also planned. Together, they are meant to strengthen energy security and expand LNG storage and processing capacity.

On the industrial side, the zone linked to the complex already hosts one operational factory, and three others are under construction. In the near term, the project is expected to create 14,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs. The transport links needed to connect the hub to surrounding regions are also under way, including the Selouane-Nador West Med railway line, the Guercif-Nador West Med motorway and upgrades to the existing road network.

At the same time, Tanger Med is being expanded through Tanger Med 3, located west of Tanger Med 2. The new facility will have 1,200 metres of quays and add an annual capacity of 4.5 million containers, at a cost of around 8 billion dirhams. A concession contract has been signed with Maersk-APM, a global leader in maritime transport, to develop the new container terminal.

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The scheme also covers the expansion of the passenger and international road freight transport (TIR) port, along with the eastern expansion of Tanger Med 2. Once these projects are complete, the total handling capacity of the Tanger Med complex is expected to reach 20 million containers a year, which supports Morocco’s ambition to rank among the world’s top ten ports.

The King stressed that all regions concerned must benefit from the economic and social returns of these projects, with direct benefits for local populations. He also called for the rapid rollout of training programmes tailored to the needs of emerging sectors, so that young people can enter the workforce more easily.