Nador West Med: East Container Terminal Now Operational
Nador West Med port's East container terminal has begun operations, with a capacity of 3.5 million containers by 2030, under a 25-year concession between Marsa Maroc and MSC.
Nador West Med port's East container terminal entered effective operation on Saturday after the first container was unloaded from a commercial vessel, marking the launch of one of Morocco's largest port and industrial complexes. The launch took place on the Very High Instructions of King Mohammed VI, under the supervision of Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, in the Iaâzzanène commune, Nador province.
East terminal figures
The East terminal spans a 1,520-metre quay with an 18-metre water depth, over 70 hectares of land, with an expected capacity by 2030 of 3.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), for an investment of close to 5 billion dirhams. It will be operated for 25 years by a consortium of Marsa Maroc, Africa's fourth-largest container terminal operator, and Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of MSC, the world's largest container shipping line.
Two terminals, 5.3 million containers combined
The picture is completed by the West terminal, expected to begin operations in April 2027, operated by Marsa Maroc and CMA CGM:
| Terminal | Length / Capacity | Investment | Operator | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 1,520 m / 3.5M TEU (by 2030) | ~5bn MAD | Marsa Maroc + MSC | Operational (today) |
| West | 900 m / 1.8M TEU | ~3bn MAD | Marsa Maroc + CMA CGM | April 2027 |
Combined, the two terminals will bring Nador West Med port's total capacity to 5.3 million containers a year.
A 54-billion-dirham project and jobs driver
The East terminal's launch is part of the wider Nador West Med complex, whose overall figures Wafinkom had already reported: 54 billion dirhams in public and private investment, including a 700-hectare industrial and logistics platform worth 12 billion dirhams in private investment. The port is linked by a 49-kilometre rail line to Selouane and a 105-kilometre motorway from Guercif, and is expected to create 14,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs in the near term, mostly for young people.
Moroccan authorities frame the complex within a strategic vision to boost the Kingdom's share of international maritime trade between the Mediterranean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, complementing the momentum launched by Tanger Med port, as part of a broader integration between Morocco's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.