Rabat – The African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Friday it would lend Morocco 270 million euros ($316 million) to finance upgrades to the country’s airport infrastructure in time for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Morocco plans to invest 38 billion dirhams ($4 billion) to increase overall passenger capacity at its airports to 80 million by 2030, from 38 million currently, as it prepares for a surge in tourist arrivals ahead of the World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco, Africa’s most visited country last year, has already set a new tourism record in 2025, reporting 18 million arrivals by November compared with 17.4 million for all of 2024.
The loan will help expand passenger terminals and modernise equipment at airports in the key tourist hubs of Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez, AfDB said in a statement.
The financing brings AfDB’s total commitments to Morocco this year to 1.3 billion euros, reinforcing the country’s position 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. (Reuters)
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