Morocco to launch digital mining register and overhaul sector, minister says

Morocco plans to launch a national digital mining register in early 2026 as part of a wider reform of the country’s mining sector, the energy transition minister has told parliament.

Speaking on Monday, Leila Benali, minister of energy transition and sustainable development, said the new online system would include more than 40 administrative procedures and would be designed to simplify licensing, improve transparency and make information more accessible to the public. She described the project as a key step in strengthening governance in one of the country’s most economically important sectors.

Benali also announced a new development plan for the eastern mining town of Jerada, once a major coal hub, where she said the government was preparing a “new generation” programme to restructure mining activity and improve working conditions. As part of the reform, a digital platform will be created to connect coal miners directly to the national market, allowing them to sell through legal channels and secure fairer incomes.

The minister said the mining sector accounts for about 10 percent of Morocco’s GDP, represents around 20 percent of exports by value and provides more than 40,000 direct jobs. She added that reform efforts were guided by the principle of “territorial equity” in line with royal policy, with the aim of reducing inequality between regions.

On worker safety, Benali said labour protection had become a central priority after several fatal accidents in recent years. She noted that an earlier draft mining law was withdrawn in 2021 and rewritten to strengthen social protections, including the introduction of a professional mining worker card.

She also confirmed new legislation to modernise mining regulation and the transformation of Morocco’s national hydrocarbons and mining authority into a limited company to improve governance and investment capacity.

In the regions of Tafilalt and Figuig, the minister said the government was also preparing new industrial mining zones and exploration agreements to support small scale miners and attract private investment.