Business
World Bank–Morocco: $500 million in financing for employment and green growth
This funding, the first in a series of three planned operations, supports Morocco’s employment roadmap. It also aims to improve the business climate for SMEs and support investments in renewable energy.
The World Bank has approved $500 million in financing to support Morocco’s job creation and green growth program. In a statement, the institution noted that this funding, the first in a series of three planned operations, supports Morocco’s “Employment Roadmap” in areas where change can have a tangible impact on citizens’ lives.
It aims, the same source continues, to create more opportunities for young people and women by developing job placement programs, reaching more than 330,000 job seekers by 2029, and improving the alignment of education and training systems with private sector needs.
The financing will also promote women’s participation in the labor market by strengthening the supply of accredited early childhood care facilities, with the creation of more than 40,000 new places and 1,200 direct jobs for women in this sector.
Beyond reforms to the investment climate, this operation also supports measures to improve the business environment, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as part of a broader effort to build a more inclusive and resilient economy. In this regard, the World Bank notes that Morocco is modernizing its insolvency framework to facilitate the resolution of financial difficulties, strengthening credit guarantee mechanisms for SMEs, and streamlining investment procedures through Regional Investment Centers.
Furthermore, as Morocco works to develop its renewable energy sector, this financing provides timely support to remove barriers that have discouraged private investors. It also supports the growth of energy efficiency services and enables Morocco’s pharmaceutical industry to strengthen its presence in international markets, with export targets expected to increase sevenfold by 2029.
Building on reforms already undertaken in Morocco, this operation provides financial support and policy momentum to accelerate progress, the statement adds. It has been structured using a programmatic approach to deliver concrete results on the ground. As reforms take root, successive operations will deepen the transformation of Morocco’s investment climate and expand opportunities for green and inclusive growth, thereby laying the foundations 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 climate, removing sectoral constraints, and supporting the emergence of high-growth companies, this operation helps create the conditions for businesses to expand, overcome financial difficulties, and attract sustainable investment,” said Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, Director of the Maghreb and Malta Division at the World Bank, as quoted in the statement.
