Economic and energy experts say Morocco could face rising fuel prices in the coming weeks as global oil markets react to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel on Thursday, despite efforts by major global powers to stabilize markets and reassure investors about energy supplies disrupted by the conflict.
The international benchmark Brent crude rose to $101.59 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the main U.S. pricing standard, reached around $96 per barrel.
Amine Bennouna said the fuel market represents a massive sector worth tens of billions of dirhams in Morocco, but warned that the country lacks sufficient mechanisms to protect consumers in a largely liberalized fuel market.
Speaking to Hespress AR, Bennouna said that major economies such as Germany, France and Japan would likely take strong measures to prevent oil prices from climbing to $200 per barrel, including releasing strategic reserves.
He noted that these countries could release up to 400 million barrels of oil from reserves, though the impact would depend on how quickly the supply is introduced to the market.
“If the reserves are released gradually over a year, the effect may be limited,” Bennouna said. “But if they are injected within a month, they could temporarily meet market demand.”
Such interventions are primarily aimed at stabilizing domestic markets in major economies, which could indirectly reduce global demand and ease international prices, he added.
However, Bennouna warned that if the conflict continues for more than a month, the situation could become more complex and unpredictable for Morocco, which relies heavily on imported energy.
Khalid Homs said fluctuations in global oil prices quickly affect fuel costs in Morocco because the country imports nearly all of its energy needs.
That dependency places persistent pressure on the domestic market and the cost of living, he said.
Homs noted, in a statement to Hespress AR that the Moroccan government has previously intervened to help preserve purchasing power and limit inflation, including efforts to prevent sudden spikes in fuel prices.
He said authorities have also implemented targeted support measures for strategic sectors — particularly the transport industry, which is one of the largest fuel consumers and among the most vulnerable to price fluctuations.
According to Homs, the support aims to help transport operators maintain their profit margins and keep services running without passing the full cost of fuel increases on to consumers.
Maintaining stable transportation costs is crucial to preventing broader price increases in goods such as food and travel, he said, calling the sector a key safeguard against wider inflation in the Moroccan economy.
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