Morocco has unveiled an ambitious Digital 2030 strategy aimed at transforming its economy and society. This initiative seeks to create 240,000 jobs in the digital sector by 2030, contributing approximately 100 billion dirhams (about $10.36 billion) to the nation’s GDP.
The strategy also aims to launch 3,000 startups within the digital economy, focusing on cutting-edge technologies such as:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)
- Cloud Services
By enhancing its digital infrastructure, Morocco intends to significantly boost economic growth and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
One of the primary objectives of the Digital 2030 strategy is to elevate Morocco’s position in the United Nations Online Services Index, advancing from 100th to 50th place globally. Additionally, the plan includes expanding 5G coverage to 70% of the country and ensuring wider access to high-speed internet for Moroccans.
Ghita Mezzour, the Minister of Digital Transition, emphasized the strategy’s role in fostering economic growth and enhancing public services. She highlighted the need to streamline and digitize services to support sustainable development and fully integrate digital technologies into daily life.
The Moroccan government is backing this ambitious plan with over $1.1 billion in funding, which will support the development of fabrication laboratories (FAB labs) and prototyping centers while attracting major global tech companies to the region.
In collaboration with various stakeholders, including public institutions and private sector players, the government aims to create a unified digital portal that standardizes administrative procedures. The Moroccan Agency for Digital Development (ADD) will play a pivotal role in driving the digitalization of public services.
Recently, Binance Academy and the Blockchain Centre introduced a blockchain engineering course at a university in Casablanca, with the goal of educating over one million students globally by 2026. Additionally, the Moroccan startup Tookeez, which focuses on enhancing customer loyalty through blockchain technology, secured $1.5 million in funding.
At the launch event for the Digital 2030 strategy, Kamal Youssefi, President of the Hashgraph Association, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative. The association aims to support Morocco’s digitization efforts by leveraging Hedera’s DLT technology and has already formed strategic partnerships to enhance citizen services and foster innovation in entrepreneurship across Morocco and Africa.
Starting in October 2023, the Hashgraph Association and Tunisia’s Dar Blockchain held four hackathons as part of a broader strategy that includes community-building activities and a sourcing phase for an upcoming incubation program tailored for the North African community.
Kamal stated, “The Hashgraph Association’s partnership with Dar Blockchain will accelerate the mass adoption of DLT in the MENA region. With the favorable outlook on crypto in the region, we wish to support this growth and ensure its continued upward momentum. It is a result of this openness to Web3 that we are partnering with Dar Blockchain and committing to advance the MENA Web3 industry.”
