Nador West Med port due to open in late 2026

The Nador West Med port and industrial complex is expected to begin operating in the final quarter of 2026, with an annual handling capacity of 5 million containers, according to a Royal Cabinet statement issued after a working session chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

The session took place on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Royal Palace in Casablanca. Fouad Al-Breini, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nador West Med, presented progress on the works.

MAD 51 billion invested

Public and private investment attracted by the port so far totals 51 billion dirhams, including 20 billion dirhams in confirmed private investment, the statement said. The Royal Cabinet described this as evidence of the confidence that major maritime and industrial players place in the Kingdom.

All the core port infrastructure has been completed: 5.4 kilometres of protective breakwaters, 4 kilometres of quays and four energy stations. Concession contracts for the two container terminals have also been signed, and their activity is to be scaled up gradually starting this year.

First LNG terminal in Morocco

The site includes an energy hub that will host the Kingdom’s first natural gas liquefaction terminal, with a capacity of 5 billion cubic metres a year, alongside a fuel terminal. The statement tied this component directly to Morocco’s energy sovereignty.

Once operational, the port will be able to handle 5 million containers and 35 million tonnes of liquid and solid bulk cargo each year. Over the longer term, an additional 12 million containers and a further 15 million tonnes of liquid bulk are planned.

700 hectares of activity zones

New activity zones covering 700 hectares in a first phase surround the port, and the first international operators have already set up there.

The Royal Cabinet presented the project as an extension of the ambition behind Tanger Med, which has become the leading port hub in Africa and the Mediterranean. The aim is to build an integrated national port system serving competitiveness, employment and balanced territorial development.

Royal instructions

His Majesty the King gave His High Instructions to all stakeholders to ensure the project starts under the best conditions. The Sovereign also called for specialised training to be launched quickly, to support investors and help young people enter the workforce.

HM the King further asked that the benefits of these investments reach every province within the port’s sphere of influence, and ordered urban upgrading programmes in Nador’s surrounding area along with a multidimensional action plan for the project’s future development.

The working session was attended by the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Equipment and Water, the Minister of Industry and Trade, and the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.