By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Friday assured that it would approve a loan facility to the tune of $316 million (270 million euros) for Morocco to finance the country’s airport infrastructure in good time for the hosting of 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Morocco is making plans to invest 38 billion dirhams ($4 billion) to increase overall passenger capacity at its airports from 38 million to 80 million by 2030. This comes as it prepares for a surge in number of tourist arrivals ahead of the World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The northern African nation, which is Africa’s most visited country has set a new tourism record this year, reporting 18 million arrivals by November compared with 17.4 million in the whole of 2024.
The AfDB in a statement said the loan will help expand passenger terminals and modernise equipment at airports in the key tourist hubs of Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez.
The funding raises to 1.3 billion euros AfDB’s total commitments to Morocco this year, positioning the country as the bank’s largest client.
Morocco is also expanding the fleet of its state-owned carrier Royal Air Maroc to strengthen its role as a regional hub, connecting Africa with Europe and the Americas through its Casablanca base.
