Morocco: Defence budget boost amid regional tensions
Morocco will raise its defence budget next year to $13bn with rising pressure from regional arms race, according to Reuters, via Arab Weekly on October 20th.
Up from $12bn in 2024, the increase in funding will help finance important arms deals to enhance national security and modernise the military.
At a meeting of the Ministerial Council on 18th October, the draft Finance Bill for 2025 was approved, with seven draft decrees related to the military.
Morocco’s programme of military modernisation includes deals to purchase fight jets, tanks and air defence equipment, including the favoured French Rafale jets.
Potential sources of arms include international partners such as the United States, Europe, India, China and Turkey.
With Moroccan King Mohammed VI in the chair, the delegation also allocated $8bn for personnel and ministerial expenses, with a view to raise salaries across the armed forces.
Members of the auxiliary forces, civil defence, the Royal Armed Forces and the Royal Gendarmerie are set to see raises as the government attempts to improve the social and financial conditions of its military personnel.
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Bulgarian Military, a website which specialises in defence news, confirmed that the country had shown interest in the Embraer C-390 Millennium, an advanced Brazilian transport aircraft.
They said the capabilities of the Embraer C-390 Millennium make it a good option, as there is potential for manufacturing or assembly operations to be carried out in Morocco.
Hichem Motadhed, a Moroccan academic and researcher in strategic affairs, said: “Morocco’s increase in the defence budget is consistent with its strategic approach regarding the modernisation of the military.
“Morocco wants to keep pace with the implementation of its political plans related to supporting and developing the defence industry, especially since the Moroccan military industry has become a fundamental lever in the geopolitical positioning of the kingdom.”
Though a significant increase, the nation’s defence spending pales in comparison to its pushy rival Algeria.
Faced with instability in the neighbouring Sahel region, Algeria’s expenditure on military applications has more than doubled since 2020, reaching an impressive $21.6bn in 2023.
Its close ties with Mali have drawn it into the civil war, which intensified following an attempted coup in 2020.
Though Morocco has been actively fighting against the Polisario Front over Western Sahara since 2020, it is not imbedded in the Sahel like Algeria.
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Despite its long running history, the Western Sahara dispute is low intensity compared with Mali’s troubles, and Morocco is currently looking for a resolution via diplomacy.
With reference to the increase of Moroccan military spending over the past five years, Motadhed added that “all indicators show the world is experiencing a phase of major strategic shifts, and the North African region and the African continent are affected by the new international dynamics.”
“Morocco has assessed what is happening and what the world is facing in the coming years, based on its commitment to controlling, developing, and modernising the military sector and investing in building national defence and strengthening its military capabilities.”
Reuters/TheArabWeekly
