Casablanca Artificial Intelligence City at $1.2 billion
NVIDIA confirms an initial investment of $1.2 billion to build Africa's first AI city near Casablanca, in partnership with Technopolis and TAQA Morocco.
Casablanca is preparing to embrace the first city in Africa and the Arab world to be fully managed with artificial intelligence technologies, after US giant NVIDIA confirmed the launch of two huge digital infrastructure projects in Morocco, one with an initial investment of $1.2 billion (about 12 billion dirhams). Nexus AI Factory project near Casablanca The main project is called Nexus AI Factory, and is led by Nexus Core Systems in partnership with Technopolis, the real estate arm of the Depository and Management Fund, along with The Ministry of Digital Transition and Management Reform, the Ministry of Investment, Technology and Public Policy Evaluation, and the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE). Nvidia provides the advanced Blackwell processors needed for accelerated computing, while TAQA Morocco supplies the facility with renewable energy. Two phases and operating proceeds by 2027 The initial investment of 12 billion dirhams is distributed in two phases: the first at the Nawasir pole near Casablanca, and the second at a site in the north of the Kingdom, provided that it reaches The total electrical capacity of the two phases will reach 36 megawatts by the end of 2027, in preparation for reaching the long-term target set at 500 megawatts. The project includes a high-performance computing center, a center of excellence and skills transfer, and an innovation and application development pole. Distribution of phases of the Nexus AI Factory project Phase Location Investment Electricity Jobs Phase I Qutb Al-Nawasir 5 billion dirhams 16 megawatts 50 positions Phase II North of the Kingdom 7 billion dirhams 20 megawatts 125 positions (total) Why Does this investment matter to Morocco? The announcement comes within the framework of the "Digital Morocco 2030" strategy, and aims to strengthen the Kingdom's position as a digital gateway between Africa and Europe, rather than relying entirely on external computing centers. Nvidia justified its choice of Morocco with the political stability, the quality of the telecommunications infrastructure and the geographical location linking the two continents. This project comes in parallel with previous Moroccan experiences in employing artificial intelligence, including an artificial intelligence model to predict wheat diseases. No date has yet been specified Official to start the actual operation of the factory, while observers are waiting for the impact of this investment on creating specialized job opportunities and attracting additional digital investments to the Kingdom.