RABAT, Jan 13 – Morocco is targeting a 100 billion dirham ($10 billion) contribution to economic output from artificial intelligence by 2030, as the North African nation accelerates investments in digital infrastructure, skills development and data sovereignty.
The push will focus on expanding domestic data-processing capacity through sovereign data centres, scaling cloud and fibre-optic networks, and training a workforce capable of deploying AI solutions across public administration and key industries, Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni said at a conference in Rabat on Monday.
Morocco’s economy is currently valued at about $170 billion. Under the strategy, the government expects AI-driven activity to create about 50,000 jobs and to train 200,000 graduates in artificial intelligence-related skills over the next six years.
The plan includes the development of artificial intelligence hubs linked to universities and private-sector partners, as well as the integration of AI tools into government services and industrial processes.
As part of the initiative, Seghrouchni signed a partnership agreement with France’s Mistral AI to support the development of generative AI applications tailored to Morocco’s needs.
“We want to position Morocco as a future hub of excellence in artificial intelligence and data science,” the minister said. The government is also preparing legislation to regulate the use and deployment of artificial intelligence, she added.
Morocco has allocated 11 billion dirhams ($1.2 billion) for its digital transformation strategy for 2024 to 2026, which includes funding for AI programmes and the expansion of fibre-optic infrastructure. Separately, the country is planning a 500-megawatt data centre powered by renewable energy in the southern city of Dakhla, aimed at strengthening the security and sovereignty of national data storage.
