Morocco prepares for the 2030 World Cup: Projects and investments worth $20 billion

Ahmed Salem

Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Fatima Zahra Amor, said that Morocco intends to increase hotel capacity by about 60,000 beds, equivalent to about 20% of the current total capacity, by the time it hosts the 2030 World Cup in partnership with Spain and Portugal.

According to what the minister told Reuters, the Kingdom views the 2030 World Cup as ”a catalyst, not an end in itself,” stressing that preparations for the event are part of a broader vision to enhance the tourism and infrastructure sector.

$20 billion investment in the Kingdom

She explained that the government is investing more than 190 billion dirhams (about $20 billion) in projects including the development of railways, roads, airports, stadiums and urban infrastructure, in preparation for hosting the tournament, noting that the distribution of matches between the three host countries has not yet been decided.

According to official data, Morocco has added about 45,000 hotel beds over the past four years, bringing the total capacity to more than 300,000 beds.

Tourism boom in Morocco

The minister said that Morocco received nearly 20 million tourists last year, making it the most attractive tourist destination in Africa, adding that the kingdom aims to raise the number of tourists to 26 million visitors by 2030.

It is expected that the sector will continue to achieve growth driven by the expansion of air connectivity, especially with European markets, in addition to working to increase the number of flights from China, the United States and Middle Eastern countries, which will contribute to diversifying the markets exporting tourism.

Diversifying tourist destinations

Amour pointed out that the sector's development strategy also includes diversifying tourist destinations and not limiting itself to traditional cities, by enhancing the status of the capital, Rabat, as a center for cultural and sporting events and business tourism, stressing that the ongoing investments aim to achieve sustainable value for the Moroccan tourism sector.

Morocco in the World Cup

The Moroccan national team had gained global attention following its results in the World Cup finals, at a time when the Kingdom is seeking to capitalize on this momentum to support the tourism sector, which contributes about 7% of the GDP and provides hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The curtain fell last night on the 2026 World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, after the Spanish national team defeated their Argentinian counterparts by a single goal in a match that went into extra time.