This major commitment aims to expand employment opportunities through better labor market policies, strengthening the fabric of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and catalytic investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and export-oriented pharmaceutical industries.
This funding, the first of a series of three planned operations, supports Morocco’s Employment Roadmap in areas where change can truly improve people’s lives. The goal is to create more job opportunities for young people and women by developing intervention programs in the labor market, benefiting over 330,000 job seekers by 2029, and better aligning education and vocational training systems with the private sector’s needs. Female activity will also be supported by adding over 40,000 spots in accredited childcare services and creating 1,200 direct jobs for women in this sector.
Besides investment climate reforms, this operation also supports measures to improve the business environment, focusing particularly on SMEs, as part of a broader effort to promote a more inclusive and resilient economy.
As Morocco strives to develop its renewable energy sector, this funding provides timely support to remove barriers that have so far kept private investors at bay. It also backs the growth of energy efficiency services and the expansion of the Moroccan pharmaceutical industry presence in international markets, with the aim of increasing exports by more than sevenfold by 2029.
Understanding that job creation, business growth, and ecological transition are closely interconnected, this program, supported by the World Bank Group, is designed to address these challenges in an integrated manner. It aims to tackle youth unemployment, which remains high, and the declining female participation in the labor market, address cross-cutting constraints that hinder private investment from reaching its full potential, and reduce the energy sector’s vulnerability to external shocks while enhancing its competitiveness.
Embedded in ongoing reforms in Morocco, this operation provides financial support and strategic momentum to accelerate progress. Structured as a programmatic approach, it is designed to yield tangible results on the ground. As reforms take hold, successive operations will deepen the transformation of the investment climate and broaden prospects for green and inclusive growth, thus laying the groundwork for lasting change.
“These reforms address one of the most persistent obstacles to job creation in Morocco: the slow emergence of high-growth firms. By simultaneously improving the business environment, lifting specific sectoral constraints, and supporting the growth of high-potential businesses, this operation helps create the necessary conditions for companies to grow, overcome financial challenges, and attract sustainable investments,” said Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, World Bank Division Director for the Maghreb and Malta.
