Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan launched operations at the first container terminal of the Nador West Med port on October 31, 2026. The East Container Terminal, located in the commune of Iaâzzanène, was inaugurated on the instructions of King Mohammed VI. The terminal is part of a larger industrial and port complex in the province of Nador, which aims to establish a new industrial, logistics, and energy hub on Morocco's Mediterranean coast.
The Nador West Med project has attracted MAD 54 billion in public and private investments. The East Terminal, which required an investment of around MAD 5 billion, has 1,520 meters of quay, a depth of 18 meters, and 70 hectares of storage yards. By 2030, it is expected to handle up to 3.5 million containers annually. The terminal's concession was secured by Marsa Maroc and Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of Swiss-based shipping group MSC.
During the inauguration ceremony, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan also launched the terminal's first commercial container unloading operation from a cargo ship. MSC ranks as the world's largest container shipping company, while Marsa Maroc ranks fourth among Africa's container terminal operators. The complex will also include a second container terminal, known as the West Terminal, which will add another 1.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to the port's capacity.
The West Terminal, which requires around MAD 3 billion in investments, will have 900 meters of quay and 38 hectares of storage yards. Authorities expect it to begin operations in April 2027, bringing the port's combined container capacity to 5.3 million TEUs. Other facilities, including a general cargo terminal, a bulk terminal, and a roll-on/roll-off terminal, will expand the port's cargo and energy handling capacity.
The port complex is expected to generate 14,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs in the short term, particularly for young people. A 700-hectare industrial and logistics platform will attract MAD 12 billion in private investments. Transport links will connect the complex to the wider region through a 49-kilometer railway and a 105-kilometer highway.
The Nador West Med project builds on the experience of Tanger Med and forms part of Morocco's broader effort to expand its maritime trade capacity. The project aims to strengthen economic development in the Oriental region and improve Morocco's position along major maritime trade routes connecting the Mediterranean, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Morocco signed the initial agreements for Nador West Med in December 2012, while construction began in 2016. The government designed the project to strengthen economic development in the Oriental region and improve Morocco's position along major maritime trade routes. The project will complement Tanger Med, while the planned Dakhla Atlantique port will strengthen Morocco's Atlantic links and provide Sahel countries with access to international markets.
Key points
- The Nador West Med port complex will create 14,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs in the short term.
- The East Container Terminal has a capacity to handle up to 3.5 million containers annually by 2030.
- The Nador West Med project has attracted MAD 54 billion in public and private investments.
