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Morocco Establishes Defense Industry Zones Through New Joint Venture
Doha – The Moroccan government has officially authorized the creation of a company dedicated to developing and managing specialized industrial zones for defense industries.
According to decree N° 2.25.428 published in the Official Bulletin on June 9, the new entity – dubbed the 'Defense Industrial Zones Management Company' – will be established as a joint venture between the Military Housing and Equipment Agency (ALEM) and MEDZ, a subsidiary of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) group.
The new company will be capitalized at MAD 300,000 ($30,000), with ownership split equally between ALEM and MEDZ. Its primary mission will be to design, develop, market, and manage industrial zones specifically dedicated to defense industry activities.
This initiative implements royal directives aimed at creating two specialized industrial zones for defense manufacturing, in accordance with Law 10.20 governing defense and security equipment, weapons, and ammunition.
The project follows a strategic partnership agreement signed on November 8, 2023, between the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the National Defense Administration, CDG, and ALEM.
The authorization, decided on May 22, was signed by the head of government and countersigned by Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah Alaoui. It grants a one-year period for the company's establishment from the date of publication in the Official Bulletin.
The industrial zones will host manufacturing activities and services related to the production of weapons, ammunition, and defense and security equipment.
This development represents a major step in Morocco's strategy to build sovereign capabilities in military technology and attract international investors to strengthen the country's defense production capacity.
ALEM, which has been operating since 1994 when it replaced the Military Housing and Equipment Fund, specializes in constructing housing for military personnel and developing infrastructure.
Meanwhile, MEDZ positions itself as Morocco's leading institutional investor dedicated to the development and management of industrial parks.
This is not the CDG subsidiary's first involvement in defense industry projects. MEDZ previously participated in a planned ultra-modern maintenance center for military aircraft and helicopters in Benslimane, in partnership with Belgian company Blueberry and American manufacturer Lockheed Martin, though this project has yet to materialize.
The creation of these specialized zones comes as Morocco has already begun attracting defense industry investments, including a recently announced project from Indian conglomerate Tata.
The project was also approved following the agreement of the National Agency for Strategic Management of State Participations, headed by Abdellatif Zaghnoun, along with the boards of directors of both MEDZ and ALEM. Tags: DefenseMoroccan MilitaryMoroccan Royal Armed Forces
