Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan inaugurates the first container terminal at the new Mediterranean port. Designed to become a strategic logistics, industrial and energy hub, the project aims to strengthen Morocco’s position along global trade routes linking Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
RABAT -Morocco is stepping up its strategy to expand its maritime infrastructure with the launch of operations at Nador West Med, a major industrial, logistics and energy complex on the country’s northeastern Mediterranean coast. On November 2, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan inaugurated the port’s first container terminal, officially marking the beginning of operations at a project that has attracted a total of 54 billion dirhams (approximately €5.1 billion) in public and private investment.
The inauguration, held on the instructions of King Mohammed VI, marks an important milestone in Morocco’s efforts to strengthen its position in international maritime trade and global supply chains. Strategically located between the Mediterranean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the new port is also expected to reinforce the Kingdom’s commercial connections with African markets.
Two container terminals with a combined capacity of 5.3 million TEUs
The first operational facility, known as the East Terminal, required an investment of approximately five billion dirhams (€470 million). It features 1,520 metres of quay infrastructure, an 18-metre draft and 70 hectares of container yards. By 2030, its annual handling capacity is expected to reach 3.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
The 25-year concession has been awarded to a partnership between Marsa Maroc and Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of Switzerland-based MSC, the world's leading container shipping group. During the inauguration ceremony, the Crown Prince formally launched operations by initiating the first container unloading from a commercial vessel.
The port complex will also include a second facility, the West Terminal, developed through a partnership between Marsa Maroc and French shipping group CMA CGM. The terminal involves planned investments of approximately three billion dirhams (€282 million) and will feature 900 metres of quay infrastructure and 38 hectares of container yards, with an annual capacity of 1.8 million TEUs. Operations are scheduled to begin in April 2027.
Once both terminals are fully operational, Nador West Med will have a combined annual container-handling capacity of 5.3 million TEUs.
An integrated industrial and energy hub
The project's ambitions extend well beyond container shipping. Nador West Med is designed as an integrated port complex combining industrial, logistics, commercial and energy-related activities.
Plans include a general cargo terminal with a capacity of three million tonnes, expected to become operational by December 2028, and a solid bulk terminal with an annual capacity of seven million tonnes, scheduled for completion in June 2027. A roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal, dedicated to vehicles and wheeled cargo, will have a capacity of 400,000 units and 380 metres of quay infrastructure.
The energy component is particularly significant. The project includes a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with a capacity of five billion cubic metres, alongside a hydrocarbon terminal designed to handle 25 million tonnes. Both facilities are expected to become operational in April 2027.
These installations give Nador West Med a strategic role beyond maritime transshipment, positioning it as part of Morocco's broader efforts to diversify energy infrastructure, strengthen supply security and develop new import and distribution capabilities.
Industrial investment and 34,000 potential jobs
Another central pillar of the project is the creation of a new economic hub in the Nador region. A 700-hectare industrial and logistics platform will be developed to support port activities and attract an estimated 12 billion dirhams (€1.13 billion) in private investment.
Project estimates point to the potential creation of 14,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs in the short term, with particular attention to youth employment. Moroccan authorities also plan to introduce vocational training programmes to prepare local workers for opportunities in the port, industrial, logistics and energy sectors.
The project's long-term economic impact will depend on its ability to attract international companies and establish a sustainable industrial ecosystem, rather than functioning primarily as a transit point for goods.
Rail and road connections underpin Morocco's port strategy
Land connectivity will be essential to the competitiveness of Nador West Med. The infrastructure programme includes a 49-kilometre railway linking Selouane to the new port and a 105-kilometre motorway connection from the city of Guercif. These links are intended to integrate the port into Morocco's national transport network and improve access to major economic centres.
Nador West Med is part of a wider strategy to develop a diversified network of ports along Morocco's Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. On the Mediterranean, the new facility is expected to complement Tanger Med, already the Kingdom's leading maritime and logistics hub and one of the Mediterranean's major transshipment centres.
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