Morocco is getting ready to co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030 with Spain and Portugal — a historic opportunity that will require huge investments in areas from sports infrastructure to transport and tourism. With France being the leading foreign investor in Morocco and Rabat the leading African investor in France, the global competition represents a prime occasion for both Moroccan and French companies to deepen collaboration and showcase their expertise.

In this spirit, Bpifrance, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and Morocco’s General Confederation of Enterprises (CGEM) organized the Morocco-France Business Forum at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat on April 24-25. The event allowed major Moroccan contractors and French companies from several key sectors that are essential to organize the FIFA World Cup 2030 to meet and exchange, offering a platform to develop synergies and foster strategic relationships. These key sectors included safety, health, construction, tourism, transport, technology and energy.

The forum gathered 23 leading French companies, which are recognized for their expertise and will be able to build on past successes such as the organization of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. All are taking part in a nine-month business acceleration program organized by Bpifrance to help them enter the Moroccan market.

“The Morocco-France Business Forum is an opportunity for participating companies to seize opportunities related to the 2030 World Cup by demonstrating their expertise, of which the organization of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is a great showcase,” said Olivier Vincent, Executive Director of Export at Bpifrance.

Beyond the sporting competition, the World Cup “builds an unprecedented bridge between Africa and Europe,” added Mehdi Tazi, Vice President General of CGEM. “In this context, the economic partnership between Morocco and France takes on a new dimension. Numerous joint projects will emerge in various key sectors, in a spirit of co-development, innovation and transfer of know-how.”

This strengthening of the economic partnership between the two countries is already yielding tangible results, as illustrated by the recent news that Airbus may become a major supplier for Royal Air Maroc, which aims to increase its fleet from 60 to 200 aircraft by 2037