{"id":9520,"date":"2026-11-03T15:30:36","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T15:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawaya24.com\/ar\/mondial-2030-lekjaa-enjeux-economiques-0311\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T15:30:39","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T15:30:39","slug":"mondial-2030-lekjaa-enjeux-economiques-0311","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawaya24.com\/en\/mondial-2030-lekjaa-enjeux-economiques-0311\/","title":{"rendered":"Fozi Lekjaa: World Cup 2030 to create over 840,000 jobs, tax breaks set for FIFA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hosting the World Cup 2030 is expected to generate more than 840,000 jobs in Morocco, Fozi Lekjaa, Minister of Economy, Finance and Public Efficiency, told the House of Representatives’ Finance and Economic Development Committee on Tuesday during the detailed debate on the 2027 finance bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His presentation, titled “World Cup 2030: economic and fiscal stakes and legacy”, covered the tournament’s governance model, the infrastructure programme, a package of tax and customs exemptions for FIFA and its partners, and projected effects on growth, employment and tourism.<\/p>\n

Six host cities, 30 base camps<\/h2>\n

Six Moroccan cities have been proposed to host matches: Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier. More than 30 team base camps are planned across the Kingdom, including outside the host cities, in Nador, Al Hoceima, Ouarzazate, El Jadida and Ifrane.<\/p>\n

Under the financial model described by the minister, host countries concentrate their spending on infrastructure and training, while FIFA handles operations. The state counts on tax revenue, foreign currency from visitors and tourism, jobs and legacy in return. FIFA covers operating costs, its staff, logistics, design and branding, and keeps ticketing, television rights, hospitality and marketing revenue.<\/p>\n

The infrastructure programme includes extending the high-speed rail line on the Kenitra\u2013Marrakech axis over 430 km, and launching regional RER train services in the Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Sal\u00e9-K\u00e9nitra, Marrakech-Safi and Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima regions.<\/p>\n

Casablanca airport is to gain a terminal operating as a hub, a new runway, a new control tower and a stronger link to the high-speed line, while the airports of Marrakech, Agadir, Fez and Tangier will be expanded. On the roads, a “Continental” motorway between Rabat and Casablanca is planned, alongside upgraded access routes to stadiums, notably the grand stadiums of Casablanca and Marrakech.<\/p>\n

The main stadiums in Rabat, Tangier, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech and Fez will be upgraded, and the Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane<\/a>, with 115,000 seats, will be built to FIFA standards. The six host cities will also undergo urban upgrading, focused on transport and the rehabilitation of public space and buildings.<\/p>\n

Lekjaa said Casablanca would be “the beating heart of the World Cup”. He stressed that the Hassan II stadium would be used by Raja, Wydad and the national team even before the tournament, adding that Morocco was not in Qatar’s position and would not dismantle its stadiums and ship them abroad afterwards.<\/p>\n

Temporary exemptions for FIFA<\/h2>\n

The finance bill provides time-limited exemptions for FIFA’s ecosystem and partner bodies, and a permanent exemption for the tournament’s social “legacy fund”. Depending on the beneficiary, they take effect on January 1, 2027 or January 1, 2029, and run until the end of 2031 or 2032.<\/p>\n

They cover corporate tax, the social solidarity contribution on profits and income, withholding tax, VAT and registration duties for FIFA, the delivery bodies and their subsidiaries, the host and co-host federations, CONMEBOL member federations, FIFA member associations, the host broadcaster and listed FIFA service providers and contractors.<\/p>\n

Competition-related bonuses paid to staff seconded to Morocco, to volunteers and to non-resident players will be temporarily exempt from income tax. Further exemptions concern stamp duties on advertising and receipts, the annual special tax on vehicles (TSAV), the tax on insurance contracts and the air solidarity and tourism promotion levy. A simplified electronic procedure will handle claims and possible refunds. Imported goods and equipment will be exempt from import duty, domestic consumption taxes and several sector-specific levies.<\/p>\n

Jobs and tourism projections<\/h2>\n

According to simulations in the presentation, total investment would grow by a cumulative 21.2% between 2023 and 2030, around 2.6% a year, adding an estimated 1.65 points of GDP annually. Construction would account for 52% of the projected jobs, other industries 13.8%, hospitality and restaurants 6.2%, and remaining sectors 28%.<\/p>\n

In tourism, the target is 26 million arrivals by 2030, tourism GDP of MAD 189 billion at current prices (MAD 134 billion at constant prices), receipts above MAD 156 billion and more than 150,000 additional jobs.<\/p>\n

Costs and debt<\/h2>\n

The minister urged MPs to distinguish infrastructure investment from spending tied directly to the tournament. He cited investments by the National Railways Office (ONCF), worth MAD 104 billion, questioning why some would count that sum as World Cup debt, and said the overall cost should be set once the final contracts are announced.<\/p>\n

He also raised the accommodation of around 5,000 FIFA personnel and said the international broadcast centre should be housed at the Casablanca exhibition grounds. He questioned what taxes foreign broadcasting rights holders based abroad would pay Morocco, and voiced the ambition for national producers to film World Cup matches.<\/p>\n

Lekjaa criticised the gap between building a stadium in two years and a hospital taking 12, calling it “unacceptable”. He closed by saying:<\/p>\n

“I believe in collective success, and the failure is my responsibility.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

World Cup 2030 could create over 840,000 jobs, Minister Fozi Lekjaa told MPs, outlining FIFA tax exemptions and infrastructure plans in the 2027 finance bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6317,6590,6591],"class_list":["post-9520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economie","tag-abraz-al-anawin","tag-federation-internationale-football","tag-grand-stade-hassan-ii"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t