The €205 million loan places African Development Bank financing behind the next stage of Morocco's high-speed programme, on the Kénitra-Marrakech corridor, alongside work on the conventional infrastructure on the same axis.
The agreements are signed. What follows, in procurement and construction on the corridor, will show how quickly the financing converts into capacity on a route linking the country's main economic centres.
- Morocco and the African Development Bank have signed two financing agreements worth a total of €405 million in Rabat.
- The first loan, of €205 million, finances the Railway Infrastructure Development Support Project.
- The project covers the extension of the high-speed line and the reinforcement of existing railway infrastructure on the Kénitra-Marrakech corridor.
- The second agreement, of €200 million, is results-based financing for the “Cap Compétences 2030” vocational training programme.
- The Bank states that it has mobilised more than €15 billion in Morocco since 1978 for more than 150 projects.
The Moroccan government and the African Development Bank signed two financing agreements in Rabat on Thursday 17 September 2026, worth a total of €405 million, intended to develop human capital and modernise the Kingdom's railway infrastructure.
The signing ceremony brought together the African Development Bank's Country Manager for Morocco, Achraf Hassan Tarsim; the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Younes Sekkouri; the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of the Budget, Fouzi Lekjaa; and the Director General of the Office National des Chemins de Fer, Mohamed Rabie Khlie.
“We are signing two important projects today. The first sets out to serve the absolute priority of employment by mobilising all the means necessary to make young people genuine drivers of value creation. The second, a structuring project, covers the extension of the high-speed line, which for us is a source of pride. Our relationship with the African Development Bank is exceptional,” said Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget.
“These two agreements express the same ambition: to prepare the Morocco of tomorrow. By developing the skills the economy will need and by supporting the extension of the high-speed line, we are helping to create more opportunities, more jobs and more sustainable growth for the country. Morocco is a benchmark for Africa,” said Achraf Tarsim.
The first loan agreement, worth €205 million, is intended to finance the Railway Infrastructure Development Support Project. The operation will strengthen the capacity and operational performance of the Kénitra-Marrakech railway corridor through the extension of the high-speed line (LGV) and the reinforcement of existing railway infrastructure on this strategic axis. By improving the flow of journeys between the country's main economic and urban centres, the project will support more sustainable mobility and better territorial connectivity, while strengthening Morocco's logistics competitiveness.
The second agreement, worth €200 million, will contribute to financing the “Cap Compétences 2030” programme. This results-based financing aims to strengthen the relevance, quality and diversification of vocational training provision, in particular through the digitalisation of services, the roll-out of large-scale apprenticeship arrangements and improvements to labour market integration mechanisms. The programme will facilitate access to a more diversified training offer and improve the employment prospects of young people and women.
Set within Morocco's priorities and within the Four Cardinal Points, the African Development Bank Group's strategic vision, the two operations illustrate a shared commitment to developing human capital and modernising the Kingdom's infrastructure.
A long-standing partner of Morocco, the pan-African development institution has mobilised more than €15 billion since 1978 to finance more than 150 projects in key sectors such as human development, water, agriculture, energy and transport infrastructure.
