Marrakech-Manara Airport: €270 million for expansion from the African Bank
The National Airports Office signed a €270 million financing agreement with the African Development Bank to expand Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez airports, and increase their capacity by 2030.
On Tuesday, September 30, 2026, the National Airports Office in Casablanca signed a financing agreement worth 270 million euros with the African Development Bank Group to finance the expansion and modernization of the infrastructure of four major Moroccan airports: Marrakech Manara Airport, Agadir Dashira Airport, Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport, and Fes Saïs Airport. The agreement was signed by Adel Fakir, Director General of the National Office of Airports, and Ashraf Tarsim, Representative of the African Development Bank Office in Morocco. New absorptive capacities by 2030 Financing within what is known as the Airport Infrastructure Expansion and Modernization Program (PEMIA), which aims to raise the capacity of the four concerned airports by 2030, according to the following table: The targeted capacity of the concerned airports by 2030 The airport has the targeted capacity (passenger/year) Marrakech-Manara Airport 14 million passengers Agadir-Dosheira Airport 5 million passengers Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport 3.6 million passengers Fes Sais Airport 3 million passengers New security and digital equipment The program includes, According to the National Airports Office, last-generation security equipment and automated baggage handling systems have been installed, in addition to modernizing air navigation systems and developing digital solutions to improve the passenger experience inside these stations. The President of the African Development Bank Group stressed that the Bank is keeping pace with Morocco's ambition to "modernize and increase airport capacities, especially in the strategic poles such as Marrakech, Agadir, Fez and Tangier." Part of the "Airports 2030" strategy This funding falls within a broader strategy launched by the National Office Under the name "Airports 2030", it aims to modernize the Moroccan airport network and keep pace with the expected growth in air traffic in the coming years. The AfDB agreement comes in addition to a series of international financing recently obtained by Morocco to modernize its transport infrastructure, as part of an ongoing cooperation between Rabat and the AfDB Group. A bet on tourism and employment This funding comes at a time when Morocco is continuing its preparations to receive a large influx of visitors on the occasion of Co-hosted for the 2030 World Cup, the government is betting on strengthening the capacity of regional airports to support the tourism and foreign trade sector. The project is expected to contribute to the creation of new job opportunities, especially for youth and women, in addition to enhancing the level of security within these facilities and strengthening Morocco's position as a regional air platform.