Tanger Med and Casablanca strengthen Morocco’s maritime trade

Morocco’s major ports, Tanger Med and Casablanca, continue to stand out as some of the most connected maritime hubs in the Arab world, according to the pro-Moroccan Yabiladi and agencies on March 16th. 

In its fourth sector-focused report for 2025, published on March 15th, the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) identified the Moroccan ports of Tanger Med and Casablanca as among the most strongly linked to international maritime routes in the Arab region. 

With current news highlighting the progress of Nador West Med, this massive industrial and port complex under construction in Betoya on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast is designed to complement the success of Tanger Med, which has already become Africa’s leading port and a major Mediterranean hub.

However, although Nador West Med is currently being created, Tanger Med and Casablanca are still leading the way, currently handling the majority of the region’s maritime traffic and container volume.

The assessment reviewed 71 ports across Arab countries and found that the two Moroccan hubs stand alongside several major shipping centres, including Khalifa Port, the Port of Alexandria, Port Said, the Port of Damietta, and the Port of Salalah.

The account also points to continued growth in maritime investment across the Arab region. Over the past 23 years, the sector has attracted 146 foreign investment projects worth nearly $4 billion. These investments reflect the increasing importance of Arab ports within global trade routes.

Shipping capacity has also expanded. The size of the Arab commercial fleet rose by about 4% in 2025, reaching roughly 2,900 vessels based on effective ownership.

Joint investments between Arab countries have also played a role in developing the sector. Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Egypt have partnered on 11 regional projects valued at more than $218 million.

Cargo traffic through Arab ports remains significant; in 2023, the ports handled more than 423 million metric tons of goods, with Morocco, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt accounting for 58% of that volume.

Container activity has also grown steadily. Ten major Arab ports reported a 19% rise in container throughput in 2023 compared with 2019, reaching approximately 59 million TEUs.

The report continues to indicate that several Arab countries have improved their stance in the global liner shipping connectivity index by the fourth quarter of 2024. Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia were among the region’s top performers.

Maritime transport services continue to play an increasingly important role in regional trade. In 2024, the combined foreign trade of 11 Arab countries in this sector grew by 12%, reaching more than $53 billion, accounting for roughly one-quarter of the Arab world’s overall trade in transport services.

Yabiladi and agencies, Maghebi.org