On the occasion of National Moroccans Residing Abroad Day, the Marrakech-Safi Regional Investment Center (CRI) is placing the Moroccan diaspora at the heart of its strategy to strengthen the region’s investment appeal. Through its “Marrakech Invest MDM” initiative, the CRI aims to turn the diaspora’s ties to Morocco, financial resources, expertise and international networks into productive investment projects, job creation and long-term contributions to the Kingdom’s major development projects leading up to 2030.

This strategy comes as Marrakech-Safi strengthens its position as one of Morocco’s leading investment hubs. In 2024, the Regional Unified Investment Commission approved 798 projects, compared with 537 in 2023, representing a 49% increase. These projects represented MAD 95.9 billion in planned investment and were expected to generate 26,619 jobs. Although the 2024 amount was below the MAD 118.4 billion recorded in 2023, the increase in the number of projects and expected employment reflects a broader and increasingly diversified investment base across the region.

2025: A Sharp Acceleration in Investment

The momentum continued in 2025, with particularly strong growth during the first quarter. The CRI approved 231 projects, up 18% from the first quarter of 2024, representing MAD 38.5 billion in investment, an increase of 51%, and more than 11,100 expected jobs, up 135%. Industry alone accounted for MAD 8.3 billion and nearly 6,000 expected jobs, through projects involving renewable energy, food processing and industrial infrastructure. Services accounted for almost half of the investment volume, while tourism remained a major driver, with 116 approved projects. However, these first-quarter figures should not be confused with a full-year 2025 total, as the publicly available data do not yet provide a consolidated annual figure directly comparable with the MAD 95.9 billion recorded in 2024.

2026 Confirms the Depth of the Investment Momentum

Available 2026 indicators confirm that the acceleration is continuing. Between November 24, 2025 and April 30, 2026, 570 projects were approved, representing MAD 50.9 billion in planned investment and nearly 24,900 expected jobs. Marrakech-Safi is therefore no longer defined solely by its position as a major tourism destination. Industry, agribusiness, renewable energy, logistics, services, digital activities, the blue economy and cultural and creative industries are becoming key pillars of the region’s economic diversification.

Moroccans Abroad: A Strategic Pool of Capital and Expertise

Against this backdrop, Moroccans residing abroad represent a major pool of capital, expertise and international networks. According to Morocco’s Office des Changes, remittances from Moroccans residing abroad reached MAD 118.979 billion in 2024, before rising to MAD 122.023 billion in 2025, an increase of 2.6%. These transfers should not, however, be directly equated with productive investment. Publicly available data do not make it possible to identify precisely how much Moroccan diaspora capital was invested specifically in the Marrakech-Safi region in 2024 and 2025. The challenge is therefore to channel part of this financial capacity into productive capital through industrial companies, food-processing units, tourism facilities, logistics platforms, digital services, renewable-energy projects and innovative businesses.

Marrakech: A National Tourism Investment Powerhouse

Marrakech enjoys exceptional competitive advantages thanks to its international reputation, hotel infrastructure, airport connectivity and highly developed tourism ecosystem. In 2025, national tourism investment reached approximately MAD 8 billion, with around 30% concentrated in Marrakech-Safi, equivalent to roughly MAD 2.4 billion. This concentration confirms Marrakech’s role as a national tourism powerhouse, while also positioning the city as a platform for services, events, hospitality, transport, leisure and tourism-related real estate investment.

The 2030 Agenda Opens a New Investment Cycle

The prospect of the 2030 FIFA World Cup adds a new dimension to this momentum. Investments in sports infrastructure, hospitality, mobility, transport, logistics, digital infrastructure and urban services are creating a broad market for Moroccan companies and international investors. Marrakech’s Grand Stadium is among the infrastructures expected to be upgraded as part of this preparation. For Moroccans residing abroad, these projects represent not merely a short-term opportunity but a long-term market capable of generating growing demand for accommodation, catering, transport, construction, services, technology and digital solutions.

“Marrakech Invest MDM”: Turning Interest into Projects

This is precisely the purpose of “Marrakech Invest MDM”, the CRI programme designed to structure support for diaspora investors through information, guidance, training, matchmaking and individualized assistance. The programme addresses key investment issues including financing, land, urban planning, permits, taxation and sector-specific opportunities, while facilitating connections between project developers, financial institutions and regional economic stakeholders. The approach aims to reduce administrative and information barriers that can delay project implementation.

From Diaspora Savings to Productive Capital

The real challenge is now to transform the relationship between the Moroccan diaspora and its home region: from the Moroccan abroad as a visitor, to the Moroccan abroad as an investor, and ultimately from investor to long-term economic partner in territorial development. Marrakech-Safi offers a diversified portfolio of opportunities spanning tourism, agribusiness, agricultural processing, industry, renewable energy, the blue economy around Safi and Essaouira, logistics, digital services, business services, training, healthcare, and cultural and creative industries. The international profile of many Moroccans abroad is an additional advantage. Their contribution can go well beyond financial capital to include management expertise, technology, commercial networks, knowledge of foreign markets and the ability to build international partnerships.

Marrakech-Safi: An Investment Platform for 2030

The available figures point to a clear trajectory: MAD 95.9 billion in approved projects in 2024, MAD 38.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025, and MAD 50.9 billion between November 2025 and April 2026, while remittances from Moroccans residing abroad exceeded MAD 122 billion in 2025. Marrakech-Safi is therefore entering a new phase in which the objective is not simply to attract capital, but to select, accelerate and localize investments capable of generating greater added value and sustainable employment.

By 2030, Moroccans residing abroad could become one of the key accelerators of this transformation. Through “Marrakech Invest MDM”, the CRI is seeking to build a bridge between Moroccan expertise abroad and the needs of a region undergoing rapid economic transformation. Marrakech-Safi now possesses a rare strategic combination: a globally recognized destination, a diversified regional market, expanding infrastructure, strong tourism and industrial sectors, and a diaspora capable of contributing capital, expertise, technology and international networks simultaneously. The key challenge for the coming years will be to transform this potential into productive, sustainable and job-creating investment.