Morocco is advancing its container infrastructure with two major deepwater port projects aimed at strengthening its position in global trade.

The country's Ministry of Equipment and Water confirmed that the planned port facility Nador West Med, located on the Mediterranean coast, is now fully ready and could begin operations by the end of 2026.

The port, designed as a transhipment hub, will initially handle 1.8 million TEU annually, with capacity expected to rise to 5.5 million TEU in later phases.

This positions Nador West Med to compete directly with leading European ports such as Algeciras and Valencia.

Terminal concessions have already been secured, with Marsa Maroc partnering with CMA Terminals for the West Terminal and MSC Group’s Terminal Investment Limited taking the second container terminal.

Nador West Med is situated near East-West shipping routes, and it combines a new port with a free industrial zone covering 800 hectares, expandable to 5,000 hectares.

The facility will also host Morocco’s first LNG terminal, featuring a floating storage and regasification unit connected to industrial hubs in the northwest.

Further south, Morocco is constructing a $1 billion port in Dakhla on the Atlantic coast, scheduled for completion in 2028.

The port will be Morocco’s deepest at 23 metres and will include 1,600 hectares for industrial activity alongside 5,200 hectares of farmland irrigated by desalinated water.

Both Nador and Dakhla ports will feature quays dedicated to exporting green hydrogen once production begins, reinforcing Morocco’s commitment to renewable energy.

These developments follow the success of Tanger Med, which by 2024 supported 1,400 firms across multiple sectors.