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Morocco’s rural construction policy is transforming the landscape of housing access and infrastructure. Minister Fatima Zahra Mansouri revealed significant advances in building permits and village development, highlighting a new era of urban planning aimed at improving the quality of life for rural populations.
Expanding Access to Construction Permits
In the recent question-and-answer session at the Moroccan Parliament, Minister Mansouri reported that approximately 1.8 million people have benefited from simplified building permit processes under the new rural construction policy. The program, introduced to streamline and broaden access to licenses, has increased the number of villages eligible for development from 975 to nearly 4,700. The area covered has similarly expanded from 15,000 hectares to 130,000 hectares, facilitating widespread rural development.
The minister noted a remarkable surge in permit applications, which jumped from 52,855 to 193,423 in just a few years, demonstrating the program’s immediate impact. The approved projects increased from 28,103 to over 111,000, highlighting the growing momentum in rural construction.
Growth in Housing Projects
Mansouri emphasized that housing projects have also seen significant growth, rising from 22,844 to 62,200. Notably, 68 percent of these projects occupy less than 1,000 square meters, reflecting the positive effect of simplified procedures on rural construction dynamics. The financial investments related to these projects have skyrocketed from approximately 8 billion dirhams to over 80 billion dirhams, underscoring the policy’s effectiveness in catalyzing rural development.
Improving Urban Planning Frameworks
On the topic of urban planning documents, the minister disclosed that 84 percent of rural municipalities are now covered. The ministry has also approved 145 specific plans for rural clusters, enhancing the planning framework across the region. Mansouri’s office is actively working on a new legal framework to establish regional agencies for urban planning and housing, aimed at improving governance and simplifying administrative processes.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry is reviewing Law 12.90 on urban planning to create more inclusive documentation that supports future growth and reduces regional disparities. The potential partial regularization of certain unauthorized construction cases is being considered to address the challenges faced by rural families who find it difficult to finance homes in one go.
A Holistic Approach to Rural Development
Concluding her address, Mansouri highlighted that the ministry’s new approach focuses on enhancing living standards, boosting productive investment, and narrowing regional inequalities. The ongoing commitment to expanding access to planning documents has reached 90 percent coverage among rural communities, equating to 1,346 out of 1,503 municipalities. This ambitious strategy aims not only to foster robust rural development but also to ensure a better quality of life for Morocco’s underprivileged villages.
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