Madar (Rabat) - Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, on the instructions of King Mohammed VI, on Saturday, October 31, 2026, launched operations at the first container terminal of the Nador West Med port in the commune of Iaazzanene, Nador Province, news site Hespress reported, citing an official statement.
According to the same source, the launch is the first step in bringing into service the Nador West Med industrial-port complex, which has mobilised MAD 54 billion in public and private investment.
The East terminal has 1,520 metres of quay, an 18-metre draft and 70 hectares of yard space, with a capacity of 3.5 million containers by 2030 and an investment of about MAD 5 billion. It has been conceded for 25 years to a consortium of Marsa Maroc and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the MSC group.
The port also includes a second container terminal, the West terminal, with a capacity of 1.8 million TEUs, conceded to Marsa Maroc and CMA CGM for an investment of about MAD 3 billion. It is due to start operating in April 2027, bringing the port's total capacity to 5.3 million containers.
The complex will also have a general cargo terminal handling 3 million tonnes (December 2028), a 7-million-tonne bulk terminal (June 2027), a roll-on/roll-off terminal for 400,000 units delivered in September 2026, and an energy hub with a liquefied natural gas terminal of 5 billion cubic metres and a 25-million-tonne hydrocarbon terminal, both due in April 2027.
The complex is expected to create 14,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs in the short term and includes a 700-hectare industrial and logistics zone that has attracted MAD 12 billion in private investment. It will be connected by a 49-kilometre rail line from Selouane and a 105-kilometre motorway link from Guercif.
The Crown Prince launched the first unloading of a container from a commercial vessel at the East terminal.
