Morocco-UAE MoUs Promise Broader Horizons for Fruitful Partnership

Several government members and senior Moroccan officials underlined that the memoranda of understanding (MoU), inked Monday in Abu Dhabi on the occasion of the working and fraternal visit paid by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the United Arab Emirates, promise broader horizons for a fruitful partnership in various areas between the two countries. In this regard, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget, Faouzi Lakjaa, told the press that HM King Mohammed VI’s visit to the United Arab Emirates gives strong impetus to bilateral cooperation in several sectors. He added that the MoUs “have a strategic dimension due to their geographical scope, as they go beyond the framework of bilateral cooperation between the State of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco to include many African countries and projects of interest to the European continent in the future”. For his part, Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, stressed that the signed MoUs also relate to infrastructure, particularly water security, given that a MoU will create new-generation investments relating mainly to water desalination, “which is a very important and ambitious program for Morocco”. Regarding the MoU relating to ports, Baraka stressed that Morocco has granted, in accordance with High Royal Guidelines, a special status to large ports that have a strategic dimension, adding that the port of Nador West Med and the Atlantic port of Dakhla will benefit from UAE investments. Managing Director of the National Railway Office (ONCF), Mohamed Rabia Khlie underlined that the high-speed train project between Kenitra and Marrakech is of particular importance. He added that the ambitious and innovative Morocco-UAE partnership will allow the creation of an innovative financial structure for the implementation of this line, which will connect Tangier and Marrakech in a time not exceeding three hours, including 1 hour between Tangier and Rabat and 1 hour 35 minutes between Tangier and Casablanca. Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, noted that the partnership signed in the energy sector between Morocco and the United Arab Emirates gives a strong boost to private investments in this area. Benali added that the signing of this agreement is an opportunity to promote the national energy transition strategy, noting that the strategic dimension of this agreement confirms the insightful vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President of the State of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. For his part, Managing Director of the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, Mohamed Benchaâboun, underlined that the Fund will play a central role in the implementation of the MoUs signed before His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al -Nahyan. Benchaâboun added that the Fund will look into the business plan of the projects which are the subject of the MoUs and will also work closely with Emirati partners to find the best way to implement these projects in the near future in transport, airports, water and energy sectors.