South Korea eyes $3.8 billion rail deal with Morocco

South Korea is pushing to sell its K-rail technology, including high-speed trains, to Morocco in a deal worth $3.8 billion, according to the Korea Economic Daily.

Underscoring this initiative, South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Park Sang-woo visited Morocco on Thursday to meet with his Moroccan counterpart, Minister of Transport and Logistics Mohamed Abdeljalil, and the Director General of the National Railways Office (ONCF), Mohamed Rabie Khlie.

During these discussions, both parties explored avenues to strengthen cooperation between Morocco and Korea in the transportation sector, focusing particularly on rail transport.

South Korean media reported that Minister of Transport Park expressed his country’s readiness to share its expertise in the railway industry and infrastructure with Morocco.

He also requested his Moroccan counterpart to collaborate with South Korean high-speed rail manufacturers for Morocco’s upcoming railway vehicle procurement project.

This project involves purchasing 904 railway cars, including both high-speed and semi-high-speed trains, valued at $3.8 billion to improve passenger transport ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.

The bidding deadline for the project is July 9th, and South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport is actively supporting South Korean companies due to potential competitive disadvantages, highlighted in the same source.

South Korea faces stiff competition from established players in the global rail market, including CAF and Talgo of Spain–co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, Alstom of France–who manufactured Morocco’s current high-speed trains, and China’s state-owned railway giant CRRC Corp. Ltd.

The Moroccan Minister, in turn, called for expanding bilateral cooperation beyond railways to encompass other sectors like civil aviation, road safety, maritime transport, and shipbuilding.