Fuel prices rose again across Morocco on Thursday, with diesel increasing by as much as 1 dirham per liter at some service stations, according to sources in the fuel distribution sector.
Sources at several fuel stations told Hespress AR that the latest price adjustment began rolling out Thursday morning and is expected to be implemented gradually across the country over the coming hours. Some stations reportedly received price update notices from distribution companies on Wednesday evening, while others were informed late at night.
The increase varies depending on the operator, with some stations raising diesel prices by 1 dirham, bringing the price from 14.50 dirhams to 15.50 dirhams per liter. Other stations applied a smaller increase of around 95 centimes. Petrol prices have remained unchanged for now, industry professionals said.
This marks the third fuel price increase in Morocco in recent weeks. The first occurred on March 16 and affected both diesel and gasoline, followed by a second increase on April 1.
The latest adjustment comes amid a bi-monthly pricing cycle closely watched by consumers and market observers.
Hussein Lymani, head of the National Front for Saving Morocco’s Oil Refinery and general secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Gas affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labour, criticized the repeated increases, alleging coordination among fuel distribution companies.
In a statement to Hespress AR, Lymani said the pricing behavior suggests “implicit agreement” among companies, arguing it violates Morocco’s competition law, which prohibits collusion or coordinated practices aimed at raising prices or limiting competition.
He said it was “unreasonable” for companies that purchase fuel at different times and prices to converge on similar retail prices, describing the pattern as raising “serious suspicions” of anti-competitive behavior.
In a previous statement to Hespress AR, Competition Council President Ahmed Rahhou said the council has not identified clear evidence of collusion in the sector. However, he noted what he described as a “quasi-coordinated” pattern in the timing of price adjustments, which typically occur every 15 days.
Rahhou added that each operator should set prices independently based on its own costs and market conditions.
Global oil prices rose on Thursday after earlier declines, amid uncertainty over potential U.S.-Iran talks aimed at ending a conflict that has disrupted production in key oil-producing regions in the Middle East.
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