Morocco Moves Closer to Adopting a National Blue Economy Strategy
RABAT, Morocco — Morocco has taken another significant step toward establishing one of Africa’s most comprehensive national blue economy frameworks, bringing its National Blue Economy Strategy (SNEB) closer to formal government approval after years of consultation, technical studies, and stakeholder engagement.
The latest milestone came during Blue Lab II, a high-level consultation organized by Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance through the Blue Economy Development Program Management Unit. The event gathered representatives from government ministries, public institutions, the private sector, financial partners, researchers, and international experts to review the strategy’s consolidated draft before it is submitted to the country’s Interministerial Commission for Blue Economy Development.
Rather than serving as a routine consultation, Blue Lab II represented the culmination of more than four years of technical work designed to create an integrated national vision for managing Morocco’s vast marine and coastal resources while strengthening economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
Building a Maritime Economy for Long-Term Growth
With coastlines stretching along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco possesses one of Africa’s most strategic maritime locations. Fisheries, shipping, tourism, ports, renewable marine energy, aquaculture, and coastal ecosystems already play an important role in the national economy.
The new strategy seeks to connect these sectors under a unified policy framework that encourages investment, improves governance, and promotes sustainable resource management instead of treating each sector independently.
According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the blue economy currently contributes approximately 3.8% of Morocco’s GDP and supports around 4.6% of national employment, highlighting its growing economic significance.
The Atlantic Ocean Economic Hub
One of the strategy’s defining features is the vision of creating an Atlantic Ocean Economic Hub, positioning Morocco as an international gateway connecting Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
The concept leverages Morocco’s expanding port infrastructure, Atlantic coastline, logistics capabilities, and geographic position to attract trade, investment, innovation, and new blue economy value chains.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional maritime industries, the initiative seeks to create an integrated ecosystem linking transport, manufacturing, marine services, fisheries, tourism, research, and emerging ocean technologies.
Five Strategic Pillars
During Blue Lab II, participants reviewed the strategy’s five strategic pillars alongside sector-specific development pathways extending toward 2030 and 2040.
Although implementation details will be finalized after government approval, discussions emphasized several priority areas:
- Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
- Maritime transport and port competitiveness
- Coastal tourism and marine services
- Protection and restoration of marine ecosystems
- Innovation, governance, and investment mechanisms
A major focus was also placed on strengthening coordination between ministries, regional authorities, researchers, and private-sector stakeholders to ensure coherent implementation across Morocco’s maritime economy.
Blue Finance as a Key Enabler
A recurring theme throughout the consultations was the importance of Blue Finance.
Officials described innovative financing mechanisms as essential for mobilizing both public and private investment needed to implement the strategy. By encouraging sustainable investment in marine industries while protecting coastal ecosystems, Morocco aims to balance economic growth with environmental resilience.
The strategy recognizes that long-term success will depend not only on policy reforms but also on attracting financial institutions, development partners, and private investors capable of supporting large-scale blue economy projects.
A Collaborative Development Process
Morocco’s National Blue Economy Strategy has been developed through an extensive participatory process involving sectoral studies, territorial consultations, technical analyses, and stakeholder workshops conducted since the launch of the Blue Economy Development Programme in 2022, supported by the World Bank.
Government officials highlighted that this collaborative approach aims to ensure broad ownership of the strategy while aligning national priorities with regional development needs and international sustainability commitments.
The recommendations collected during Blue Lab II will now be incorporated into the final version before submission to the Interministerial Commission for Blue Economy Development for approval.
A Regional Signal for Africa’s Blue Economy
Morocco’s progress comes at a time when African countries are placing greater emphasis on blue economy development as a driver of economic diversification, food security, climate resilience, and sustainable job creation.
The adoption of the Luanda Declaration on the African Blue Economy and the release of the State of Africa’s Blue Economy Report 2026 underscore a continental shift from policy development toward implementation, investment, and stronger regional cooperation.
If formally approved, Morocco’s National Blue Economy Strategy is expected to provide a long-term roadmap for transforming the country’s maritime assets into a more integrated, innovative, and sustainable economic sector—strengthening its position as one of Africa’s leading maritime economies while contributing to broader regional blue economy ambitions.
