Morocco Provides Update on Nader and Dakhla Ports During Budget Defense

During the defense of the budget in December 2025, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment Nizar Baraka provided an update on the new ports under construction. Minister Baraka reiterated that these projects are part of Morocco’s National Port Master Plan 2030, which seeks to leverage Morocco’s geostrategic location to boost economic activities.

The Dakhla Port is located on the Atlantic Coast in the disputed Western Sahara region and is scheduled to be completed by 2028. The Nader West Med is on the Mediterranean Sea and is expected to become operational by the end of 2026. These ports aim to replicate the success of Tanger Med, which is Africa’s busiest port, ahead of Durban in South Africa.

Nader Med West will have Morocco’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal based on a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FRSU). The FRSU will supply gas to industrial parks in northwest Morocco as part of the Government’s drive to reduce coal usage and lower the carbon footprint.

Further south, the Dakhla Atlantic Port also comprises an industrial park of 1,600 hectares and a farmland of 5,200 hectares, which will be irrigated by desalinated water. Dakhla will be able to dock the largest ships thanks to its depth of 23 meters. Morocco is also positioning Dakhla as a gateway to landlocked Sahel countries.

Altogether, Morocco will have four main ports, Dahkla, Nader West Med, Tanger Med, and Jorf Lasfar, with each having their own orientation. Tanger Med has managed to attract 1,400 companies which employ 130,000 people across numerous sectors, including automotive, aeronautics, textiles, agrifood and renewable energy.

In line with the evolution of sea transport, the ports will plan the production of Green Hydrogen (#GH2) and ammonia as a bunkering fuel as per market demand. In addition, a fifth port at Tan Tan is already on the drawing board.