Digital Morocco 2030

The Digital Morocco 2030 strategy is a vision aimed at modernising the country’s economy and public services through digital innovation. With a focus on inclusivity, technological advancement, and robust governance, Morocco seeks to position itself as a leading digital economy in Africa and a competitive player in the global market by 2030.

The strategy is built on two primary axes, each supported by several initiatives:

The first axis focuses on boosting the digital economy by creating a thriving digital ecosystem that will fuel local innovation, generate employment, and increase Morocco’s competitiveness in the global market. In terms of startups and digital enterprises, the strategy emphasises the importance of supporting startups by creating a favourable environment throughout their lifecycle. This also includes financial incentives, such as funding programs and venture capital opportunities. Morocco plans to promote internationalisation by attracting international incubators and venture capitalists and offering mentorship and funding to local startups.

By 2030, the country aims to have 3000 startups, including several high-growth companies or ‘Gazelles’ and billion-dollar ‘Unicorns.’ The strategy aims to provide better access to national and international markets by giving preference to products ‘made in Morocco’ and facilitating access to public procurement, which will stimulate local innovation and its commercialisation both domestically and abroad.

Outsourcing and digital exports are also key components of this axis. The outsourcing sector is seen as a major growth area, with a target to increase export revenues to 40 billion MAD by 2030 while creating 270,000 jobs. To support this, Morocco will implement measures such as offering tax incentives and reducing income tax rates in designated regions, while simplifying procedures for businesses involved in outsourcing and digital exports. This will be complemented by improvements in digital infrastructure to attract international players and enhance Morocco’s appeal as a destination for global outsourcing. Additionally, technological adoption is a priority, focusing on the development of fields like AI, cloud computing, and enhanced connectivity. The strategy envisions a hybrid cloud model, combining sovereign cloud services for sensitive data and public sector applications with public cloud solutions for general business use and international markets.

The second strategic axis of the digital strategy is the digitalisation of public services or e-government. This axis aims to improve the accessibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness of public services. By focusing on digitalisation, the government seeks to make administrative processes faster and more efficient, reducing physical interactions and streamlining communication between citizens and government bodies. The strategy sets ambitious goals, such as reducing delays in key administrative procedures by 50% and simplifying steps, documents, and visits by 40%. By 2030, Morocco aims to be ranked first in Africa and among the top 50 globally in the UN’s E-Government Development Index (EGDI).

The digital strategy places a strong emphasis on creating user-centred public services. This involves simplifying and digitising the ‘user journey,’ which refers to the steps citizens take when interacting with public services. By examining and redesigning these processes, the government intends to remove inefficiencies and improve the overall user experience. To achieve this, the strategy calls for the creation of a unified digital portal that will provide citizens with a central platform for accessing various government services. The strategy also stresses inclusivity, ensuring that public services are accessible to everyone, including people in rural areas and those with disabilities. To support this inclusivity, initiatives like the Plan National du Haut Débit 2 aim to improve connectivity in rural and underserved regions, covering 1800 localities by 2026. This will include the deployment of 4G roaming in rural areas, providing fibre optic connections to public institutions, and ensuring a minimum internet speed of 20 MB/s for all citizens.

The strategy identifies three catalysts for achieving these goals: digital talents, cloud infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). The development of a skilled workforce is seen as crucial, and the strategy aims to train 100,000 digital talents per year by 2030. This will be achieved by expanding educational capacity through schools, universities, and training centres to meet the growing demand for digital professionals. Additionally, reconversion programs will be offered, including boot camps, coding schools, and retraining programs that help people transition into digital careers.

Cloud infrastructure is another key element of the strategy, with Morocco aiming to adopt a hybrid cloud model that combines sovereign and public cloud services. The sovereign cloud, managed by Moroccan operators, will host sensitive data from the public sector and critical infrastructures, while the public cloud will serve businesses and international markets.

The government also sees AI as a transformative technology for both the public and private sectors. In public services, AI will be used to enhance data management, improve service quality, and drive operational efficiency. In the private sector, AI-based solutions will be developed for various industries, such as healthcare, agriculture, and finance. Morocco also aims to attract international AI companies and support local innovation in this field.

To ensure successful implementation of the digital strategy, Morocco envisions strong and agile governance. The Ministry of Digital Transition and the Agency of Digital Development (ADD) will oversee the execution of digital projects, ensuring that they align with national priorities. Additionally, the strategy will be supported by new legal frameworks designed to facilitate digital transformation, particularly in areas like data protection, digital services, and public procurement.

Inclusivity and accessibility are fundamental to the strategy, which aims to ensure that digital services are available to all citizens. This includes establishing Relays Numériques or Digital Relay Centers throughout the country to assist citizens unfamiliar with digital technologies. Special efforts will be made to ensure that women, people in rural areas, and those with disabilities are not left behind in the digital shift. Furthermore, the strategy aims to promote digital literacy from a young age, with plans to introduce digital skills into primary education.