Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), accompanied by Yacine Fal, AfDB Deputy Director for North Africa, visited the Marrakech-Menara international airport on Friday, April 7, 2017. The project was financed by the Bank as part of Morocco's third airport project, which aimed to upgrade infrastructure at Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech and Rabat airports.

President Adesina used the occasion to praise Morocco's strategy for next-generation transport infrastructure development, calling the airport, "an impressive project that blends the modern and the traditional."

During meetings with the leadership of the National Airport Development Office, represented by Nawal Mounir, Director of the Marrakech-Menara Airport, the AfDB President noted that the opening in December 2016 of new facilities is expected to increase the airport's capacity from 6 million to 9 million passengers annually. He then praised the fact that the airport is now one of five airports in Africa to have achieved Carbon Level 1 status.

'85% of Morocco's Foreign Direct Investment is in Africa' - AfDB

Morocco is not only in line with the African Development Bank's High 5 priorities, the Kingdom is also "one of the Bank's best performing portfolios on the continent," said AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina during his first official visit to Morocco as AfDB president. He also hailed Morocco's role on the continent: "85% of your foreign direct investment is in Africa" and applauded the wish expressed by Morocco a few days before his visit to re-join the African Union (AU). Read more. More about AfDB in this BRIEFING.

Adesina emphasized the excellent cooperation between Morocco and the AfDB, which he termed "solid." He highlighted the Bank's financial commitment of €240 million to the airport project, and the fact that the Bank was the sole international lender to contribute to the project's financing. Adesina said he was very pleased to see the results of that support for the airport program, which also includes the Casablanca and Fez airports as well as the future Agadir air traffic control centre.

The AfDB's support is part of its "Integrate Africa" strategic priority, making Morocco a continent-wide air traffic hub serving several African regions.

The visit was conducted in conjunction with President Adesina's participation in the 2017 Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend, taking place April 6-9 in Marrakech.