Morocco is accelerating its transformation into a regional transport hub with fresh support from the African Development Bank. The AfDB’s board has approved a €205 million loan to extend the country’s high-speed rail network and modernise one of its busiest corridors, a move timed to support preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The funding targets the Kenitra–Marrakech railway corridor, which already carries a substantial share of passenger and freight traffic. The project will extend the existing Al Boraq high-speed line southward through Rabat and Casablanca toward Marrakech, creating a continuous high-speed backbone linking Morocco’s main economic and tourism centres. The planned 430-kilometre extension is designed to operate at 320 km/h and significantly cut journey times.
Beyond the high-speed track itself, the loan will finance new rails, track components and switches for both high-speed and conventional lines, plus upgrades around the critical Casablanca rail hub. A project management component covers engineering supervision and results monitoring to ensure effective delivery.
Achraf Tarsim, AfDB’s country manager for Morocco, described the investment as dual-purpose. “It will help accommodate growing traffic, facilitate trade flows and reduce travel times,” he said. “In the long term, it strengthens Morocco’s logistics competitiveness and its role as a strategic hub linking Europe and Africa.”
The loan forms part of a much larger national programme. Morocco’s rail operator ONCF is investing roughly 96 billion dirhams (nearly $10 billion) in network modernisation under its Rail 2040 plan. Construction on the Kenitra–Marrakech line is already underway, with land acquisition complete and significant earthworks and bridge construction progressing. Parallel financing from the World Bank, European Investment Bank and bilateral partners is also in place.
The economic rationale is clear. Faster, more reliable rail links will support tourism, industrial logistics and urban development around new stations. Direct connections to major stadiums and airports are planned as part of World Cup infrastructure. Morocco already operates Africa’s first high-speed service between Tangier and Kenitra; extending it south completes a transformative north-south spine.
Critics note that the AfDB tranche is modest relative to the overall budget, but its focus on critical track components addresses a practical bottleneck once civil works advance. Successful delivery would reinforce Morocco’s reputation for executing large infrastructure projects on schedule—an asset as the kingdom positions itself as a gateway between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
For a continent still grappling with infrastructure gaps, the project offers a visible demonstration of what focused, multi-partner financing can achieve.