Prime Highlights:
- Morocco will open Nador West Med in 2026 and the Dakhla Atlantic port in 2028, strengthening its position as a major African and Mediterranean trade hub.
- The ports aim to support industrial expansion, energy transition, and improved market access for Sahel countries.
Key Facts:
- Nador West Med will launch with 800 hectares of industrial zones, expanding to 5,000 hectares, and will host Morocco’s first LNG terminal.
- The Dakhla Atlantic port, Morocco’s deepest at 23 meters, will include 1,600 hectares for industry and 5,200 hectares of farmland irrigated with desalinated water.
Background
Morocco is preparing to expand its maritime infrastructure with two major deepwater ports, aiming to strengthen its role as a key trade hub in Africa and the Mediterranean. Equipment and Water Minister Nizar Baraka said the country will open the Nador West Med port in 2026 and the Dakhla Atlantic port in 2028.
Nador West Med, located on the Mediterranean coast, is scheduled to become operational in the second half of 2026. The port will launch with 800 hectares of industrial zones and plans to grow to 5,000 hectares, surpassing the capacity of the well-known Tanger Med complex.
The new port will also include Morocco’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, featuring a floating storage and regasification unit connected to industrial hubs by pipeline. Officials say this will help support the country’s shift from coal to natural gas and renewable energy.
Further south, Morocco is developing a $1 billion deepwater port in Dakhla on the Atlantic coast. At 23 meters deep, it will become Morocco’s deepest port, serving large ships and heavy industries.
The site will have 1,600 hectares for industry and 5,200 hectares of farmland irrigated with desalinated water. The government plans to make Dakhla a strategic gateway for landlocked Sahel countries, giving them easier access to global markets and allowing local processing of raw materials.
These two ports will join Tanger Med and Jorf Lasfar, Morocco’s existing deepwater facilities focused on energy, bulk cargo, and phosphate exports. Tanger Med alone hosted 1,400 companies by 2024, employing 130,000 people across several industries. Morocco is also studying a new port in Tan-Tan with partners interested in green hydrogen development.
