Summary:

On 8 July 2026, the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved €205 million in financing for Morocco to support the Rail Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF), aimed at extending the country’s high-speed rail network and upgrading existing infrastructure along the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor. The approval was confirmed by the AfDB Board of Directors meeting in Abidjan. 

The financing will support extension of the Al Boraq high-speed line southward along the 430-kilometer Kenitra-Marrakech axis, as well as upgrades to conventional rail infrastructure and the Casablanca rail hub, including the supply of new rails and track components for both high-speed and conventional lines. The project also incorporates engineering supervision and monitoring frameworks to support implementation. According to AfDB country manager for Morocco Achraf Tarsim, the project will help accommodate growing passenger and freight volumes, reduce travel times, and cut logistics costs along one of Morocco’s busiest transport corridors. 

The PADIF financing forms part of Morocco’s broader Rail 2040 plan and a wider approximately $10 billion rail investment program targeting completion ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal. Once complete, the Kenitra-Marrakech extension is expected to reduce travel time between Tangier and Marrakech from seven hours to under three hours. The AfDB has committed nearly €15 billion to over 150 projects in Morocco since 1978, with the rail sector among its longest-standing areas of engagement. 

Outlook: 

The AfDB approval adds further multilateral momentum to Morocco’s rail modernization drive, following the World Bank’s recent €265 million commitment to the Ifahsa pumped-storage hydropower project. The pattern reflects Morocco’s continued success in mobilizing international financial institution support across infrastructure sectors, reinforcing its positioning as a preferred destination for development finance in North Africa. 

The 2030 World Cup deadline provides a firm external anchor for delivery, creating both political incentive and reputational pressure to maintain project timelines. Beyond the tournament, the infrastructure investments being assembled now are likely to have durable economic consequences, strengthening Morocco’s role as a logistics corridor between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa and improving the competitiveness of its Atlantic-facing industrial zones. 

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