Morocco : Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan launches the first container terminal at the Nador West Med port

ON the instructions of the King of Morocco Mohammed VI, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan launched on Saturday, October 31 in the municipality of Yaâzanène (province of Nador), the operations of the first container terminal of the port Nador West Med, the inaugural step in the operationalization of the industrial-port complex Nador West Med, which mobilized 54 billion DH of public and private investment.
The launch by the Crown Prince of the operations of the container terminal “East” of Nador West Med reflects the King’s particular interest in the development of the major national infrastructures, erected as a priority for the economic transformation of the Kingdom and the emergence of new poles of industrial, logistical and economic growth, as well as the desire of the Sovereign to provide the country with a diversified, competitive and international port infrastructure.
With 1,520 linear meters of dock, a draught of 18 meters and 70 hectares of land-full, the new terminal will offer a capacity of 3.5 million containers by 2030. Mobilizing investments of the order of 5 billion DH, the terminal “Est” was granted to the grouping formed by Marsa Maroc (4th operator of container terminals in Africa) and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the MSC group (World’s first shipowner for container transport), which will operate and maintain it for a period of 25 years.
The Nador West Med complex also includes a second container terminal, the “West” terminal, with a capacity of 1.8 million TEUs. Granted to the grouping bringing together Marsa Maroc and CMA CGM (3rd global shipowner for container transport), this terminal, which requires investments of the order of 3 billion DH, has 900 linear meters of wharf and 38 hectares of land-filled. It is scheduled to be put into service in April 2027, bringing the total capacity of the port to 5.3 million containers.
Nador West Med will also have a large cargo terminal with an area of 22 Ha and a capacity of 3 million tonnes (scheduled in service in December 2028), and a bulk terminal with a capacity of 7 million tonnes, the delivery of which is scheduled for June 2027, a ro-ro terminal with a capacity of 400,000 units and 380 meters of wharf (delivered in September 2026).
It will also house a leading energy hub integrating a liquefied natural gas terminal with a capacity of 5 billion m3 (360 linear meters of wharf) and a hydrocarbon terminal of 25 million tonnes and with three docks of 125 meters (set in service in April 2027).
The Nador West Med Industrial-Port Complex, which will allow the creation, in the short term, of 14,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect, especially for young people, is also home to an industrial and logistics platform, with an area of 700 hectares, mobilizing private investment of 12 billion DH.
Open-up and connectivity infrastructure will connect this large-scale project to its environment, including a 49 km rail link between Selouane and Nador West Med, and a 105 km motorway link from the city of Guercif.
Considered as a powerful lever for the creation of wealth, jobs and opportunities, this port infrastructure aims to bring out a new cluster of industrial, logistical and economic growth, attracting productive investment, promoting the development of new activities and creating new employment areas.
Similarly, and in accordance with the Royal Instructions, training programs adapted to the needs of emerging activities will have to be implemented in order to promote the professional integration of young people.
On this occasion, the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan kicked off the first operation of unloading a container from a commercial ship at the “East” terminal.
Thus, the Nador West Med industrial-port complex fully embodies the royal strategic vision, which seeks to better leverage Morocco’s comparative advantages. It aims to enable the Kingdom to capture new market share in international maritime trade, connecting the Mediterranean basin, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia while establishing high-performing port hubs that serve as engines for regional development and key pillars in positioning the country as a premier logistics platform.
Nador West Med also extends and reinforces the momentum initiated by Tanger Med, following a logic of strategic complementarity designed to provide the Kingdom with a diversified, competitive, and internationally-scaled port infrastructure. This ambition likewise extends to the Atlantic coast through the Dakhla Atlantic port project, which is intended to strengthen Morocco’s African ties and offer Sahelian countries privileged access to international markets.