Railway Equipment: SCIF Goes All Out

Aware of its increasingly high standards in terms of competition, innovation, and investment needs, the industry has become a demanding business sector for Moroccan companies aiming to stand out both nationally and internationally.

And yet; companies backed by large groups, endowed with a successful strategy and quality human capital, manage to distinguish themselves on the chessboard of the national industry.

This is the case for the subsidiary of the Ynna group (founded by the late Miloud Chaabi), namely SCIF (Société chérifienne de matériel industriel et ferroviaire), created more than 75 years ago.

Several Notable Achievements

The structuring projects in which the industrial operator is involved are numerous. To name a few examples: Alstom’s locomotives and ONCF’s passenger cars, OCP’s phosphate drying plant in Jorf Lasfar, Afriquia Gaz’s LPG terminal in Tanger Med, the new LHM cement plant in Agadir, and the Jorf Lasfar (Ziz) oil depot.

Relying on the expertise of over 700 employees, the company led by Alami El Basbasse operates in three major areas: railway equipment (manufacturing, renovation, maintenance of rolling stock…), industrial capital goods (heavy metalwork, precision mechanics, complex metal structures…), and major industrial works (manufacturing, assembly, and installation of equipment in the energy, mining, cement, chemical, and strategic infrastructure sectors).

A Flourishing Business

Questioned by “La Vie éco” about the level of activity for the current year, Alami El Basbasse shares: “The prospects for 2025 appear just as robust as those for 2024.” According to the head of the leader in industrial engineering and railway equipment, the recent years have been marked by sustained growth.

“In 2024, SCIF achieved a historic turnover of 650 MDH, a 46% increase compared to 2023, confirming the acceleration of its activity and the solidity of its industrial positioning,” assures our source.

These shining results stem from improved productivity, the ramp-up of heavy metalwork activities, and the diversification of markets in Morocco and internationally.

For the record, SCIF has had, for over a decade, the manufacturing and export of 200 wagons to Tunisia. This speaks to the centrality of international activity (see box) for the structure, which successfully carried out its first bond issuance on the capital market in November 2025.

150 MDH to Grow

Alami El Basbasse is clear: the first bond issuance, amounting to 150 MDH with a five-year maturity, is part of a strategic approach aimed at supporting SCIF’s growth.

It allows the structure, which boasts a series of renowned references (Jesa, LafargeHolcim, Samsung, Afriquia, Alstom, Total Gaz…), to mobilize long-term resources perfectly suited to its industrial ambitions.

In this regard, the 150 MDH will be used to finance the construction of a new workshop dedicated to heavy metalwork, the extension of existing workshops at the Aïn Sebaâ site, the strengthening of production tools (with the acquisition of new-generation machines), and the modernization of internal logistics (including handling and lifting equipment).

In short, the aforementioned amount constitutes a decisive lever to support the ramp-up of the industrial structure’s capacity and meet the growing market demand.

The Ynna Group, a Significant Asset

As one might reasonably presume, SCIF, which aims to become a reference industrial player in Morocco and Africa, benefits from having Ynna as its parent company, a powerful industrial group and a diversified family holding.

“As a subsidiary of the Ynna group, SCIF benefits from a structuring environment based on the solidity of a reference Moroccan industrial group, synergies in governance, strategic steering, and financial optimization, and the exchange of skills and expertise between the group’s industrial subsidiaries,” explains our interlocutor in essence.

The synergy between the Ynna group and SCIF is also reflected in strengthened coordination in investment and industrial transformation projects. In summary, this integration allows the industrial subsidiary to accelerate its modernization while remaining aligned with the Ynna group’s strategic vision.

Regarding flagship projects and priorities, the company specializing in the design and construction of industrial equipment emphasizes a strategy of moving upmarket with the development of new capabilities in heavy metalwork, the fabrication of complex structures for railway infrastructure, and the integration of new production and quality control technologies.

“In industry, our priorities focus on the complete modernization of our Aïn Sebaâ site, strengthening our engineering and production capabilities, and expanding our activities towards high value-added industrial equipment.

Moreover, the bond issuance recently carried out constitutes an essential accelerator for these projects,” insists El Basbasse.

What About Growth Levers?

Regarding growth levers for the next five years, the CEO of SCIF identifies five strategic drivers: developing the structure’s capabilities (design and construction engineering), developing the railway sector (driven, among other things, by public investments), heavy industry (growing demand), innovation (industrial modernization), and internationalization (see box).

Ultimately, sustained growth, combined with structuring investments in workshop modernization and strengthening production and innovation capacities, reflects the industrial company’s will to raise its standards to the best international level.

Amplifying Presence in Africa

SCIF, which works to shape the Moroccan industry of the future, is today engaged in several African and international markets through the supply of industrial capital goods, the fabrication of exported mechanical and metal structures, and partnerships with foreign contractors in the fields of energy, mining, and rail.

The clearly stated ambition of the Ynna group subsidiary is to amplify its international presence, particularly in Africa where the demand for infrastructure, energy, and industrial equipment is experiencing structuring growth.