King Mohammed VI presides over the inauguration of the aircraft engine manufacturing facility of the Safran Group in Nouaceur
His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, presided today in Nouaceur, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, over the ceremony to present and launch the construction of the aircraft engine manufacturing complex belonging to the Safran Group. This project enhances Morocco’s position as a global strategic hub for the aviation industry.
The complex, to be established at the integrated industrial platform “Medpark” in Nouaceur, will include a factory for assembling and testing aircraft engines, as well as a facility specialized in the maintenance and repair of the new generation LEAP engines, under a long-term partnership with Morocco extending over 25 years. These two factories aim to enhance innovation, efficiency, and sustainability in the Moroccan aviation sector, supporting the King’s vision to elevate this industry to the highest levels of technological competitiveness.
During the ceremony, a corporate video showcasing the evolution of the aviation industry in Morocco was presented. Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour delivered a speech in which he affirmed that the Kingdom has transformed into a prestigious global destination in advanced sectors, with the export turnover in this sector rising from less than one billion dirhams in 2004 to over 26 billion dirhams in 2024. Today, the sector includes more than 150 global players.
The minister noted that the investment in the industrial complex includes the establishment of a maintenance and repair facility for engines at a cost of 1.3 billion dirhams, capable of maintaining 150 engines annually and providing 600 job opportunities by 2030. Additionally, there will be a factory for assembling and testing LEAP 1-A engines valued at 2.1 billion dirhams, with a capacity of 350 engines per year and job opportunities reaching around 300 high-skilled positions by 2029, making it the second global site for producing this type of engine.
For his part, the Chairman of Safran Group, Ross McInnes, stated that the King’s presence at the event reflects the Kingdom’s support for the industrial sector and embodies the ideal investment environment that His Majesty seeks to promote. He reaffirmed the group’s commitment to developing and accelerating the growth of the Moroccan aviation industry. The group’s CEO, Olivier Andriès, emphasized Morocco’s selection as a strategic industrial center, owing to its competencies, modern infrastructures, and the stability of its economic ecosystem.
At the end of the ceremony, the King presided over the signing of three agreements, including a protocol for establishing a factory for assembling and testing aircraft engines, a memorandum related to supplying Safran facilities with renewable energy, and an agreement for setting up the factory in Medpark. The new LEAP-1A engine was unveiled, and a commemorative photo was taken of the King with young trainees from the Aviation Trades Institute in Nouaceur before the commencement of construction for the new industrial complex.
This project, representing an investment exceeding 350 million euros, is a significant step to reinforce Morocco’s position within the global aviation industry’s value chain and create thousands of qualified job opportunities for youth, confirming Morocco’s continued strategic partnership with Safran Group over the past quarter-century.
