Morocco’s aerospace and defence industries attracted new investments and international partnerships at the eighth Marrakech Airshow, which featured nearly 200 exhibitors from 27 countries and drew more than 60 official delegations, including 27 from Africa.
Held from the 7th to the 10th of October at the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces Air Base in Marrakech, the event closed with 26 strategic agreements signed to advance cooperation in aerospace, defence, autonomous systems, advanced technologies and sustainable aviation. The show also recorded 42,000 visitors, underscoring its growing role as a platform for industrial and technological cooperation.
The participation of 27 African delegations highlighted opportunities for cooperation between African countries and international aerospace and defence industry partners. The Marrakech Airshow has positioned itself as a key meeting point for industrials, institutions and technology partners seeking to deepen ties across the continent.
The agreements signed at the event covered industrial investments, technology partnerships, local sourcing initiatives and efforts to strengthen Morocco’s national industrial capabilities. They also included projects targeting more than 1,000 jobs, as Morocco seeks to expand beyond aircraft-component manufacturing into advanced engineering, military technology and higher-value exports.
Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Commerce outlined the country’s path from arms buyer to maker, with agreements signed at the opening covering advanced manufacturing research, aircraft components, local sourcing and defence technologies, including a Moroccan drone. The Ministry also signed protocols with global aviation players to support the development of the sector.
Notable agreements included the establishment of an African Manufacturing Excellence Center, a partnership with Harmattan AI to develop next-generation counter-drone technology, and a deal to develop a Moroccan-made drone to strengthen defence and technological sovereignty. These initiatives reflect Morocco’s ambition to build a more self-reliant and technologically advanced aerospace and defence industry.
For African countries, the Marrakech Airshow offers a model for how to build industrial capacity in aerospace and defence through strategic partnerships and targeted investments. The strong African presence at the event signals growing interest across the continent in developing these sectors.
The challenge now is to translate the agreements signed into concrete projects that deliver jobs, technology transfer and industrial growth. If successful, Morocco’s approach could serve as a blueprint for other African countries seeking to build their own aerospace and defence capabilities.
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