UK businessmen sought to strengthen partnerships with Morocco, offering expertise in sports infrastructure, transport, and healthcare during a visit by British officials to Morocco to explore collaboration opportunities.
“There is a real appetite on the UK side to engage with Morocco in developing various sectors, including sports, transport, and social infrastructure,” said Tom Hill, the Country Director for the Department for Business and Trade in Morocco and Consul General in Casablanca.
In a statement to Hespress English during a reception at the British ambassador’s residence in Rabat on Thursday evening, Hill emphasized that “Morocco has a strong pool of contractors,” adding that the UK is “ passionate about working with Morocco” on upcoming endeavors, including the 2030 World Cup and other continental sports events.
This gathering followed a trade mission involving 12 British companies that directly engaged with Moroccan government officials and contractors responsible for delivering the tournament’s infrastructure, highlighting opportunities for collaboration between both sides.
In this regard, Hill underscored that the UK can assist in this area, having delivered world-class infrastructure such as Lusail Stadium in Doha and Queen Elizabeth Park in London for the Olympics, emphasizing that they had “productive discussions with both the government and private sector and are keen to continue those discussions over the coming months.”
He also mentioned that discussions have been ongoing with ONCF, as the Moroccan railway operator has ambitious plans for station infrastructure, “drawing a lot of interest from the UK in both investment and supply opportunities.”
The British Consul General in Casablanca emphasized that there is “a lot of expertise in Morocco, with ambitious contractors who have delivered large-scale projects and are ready to be strong partners with the UK, not just in Morocco but across wider Africa.”
Hill noted that they have additionally explored the concept of legacy, ensuring that the infrastructure built for major events continues to benefit Moroccans for generations, beyond just a six-week event, and noted that “these discussions have been very interesting and well received.”
He mentioned that there is also a real appetite on the UK side to engage in Morocco’s social infrastructure, particularly in the healthcare sector. Hill noted a strong interest in both building hospitals and supplying them, acknowledging the rapid increase in hospitals across the country.
The British Ambassador to Morocco, Simon Martin, told Hespress English that “the 12 UK companies bring a wealth of expertise to share, given their history of organizing major sports events in the UK.”
“We plan to have a further mission of companies involved in the rail sector next month because we know with great certainty that there will be a major development of both the high-speed and local rail networks linked to the World Cup,” he revealed.
The British Ambassador mentioned that “in recent decades, the UK and Morocco have not fully taken advantage of the partnership opportunities available.”
“While the UK may not have been as big a partner in Morocco as expected, and the same can be said for Morocco in the UK, both sides are now determined to put that right,” he underscored, adding that “this shift presents almost unlimited potential in the relationship.”
He highlighted that there is a significant increase in interest from British companies, British-based firms, and British investment funds in investing across various sectors, including education, health, and mining, with aspirations to further expand into infrastructure.
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