Recent reports indicate that ten substantial calls for tenders, out of a total of 140 initiated by public institutions and sectors in the last few weeks, reflect the scale and diversity of ongoing or planned investments in Marrakech and its surroundings. The estimated total value of these projects alone amounts to approximately 733.58 million dirhams, marking them as the highest-value initiatives based on official data reviewed by Hespress, which highlights the projected total expenditures for these contracts.
Leading the list are works related to high-speed train stations and regional rapid transit, accounting for around 462.3 million dirhams. The remaining funds are allocated to roadworks, wastewater management, administrative equipment, cleanliness, road safety, and education. At the forefront is a tender from the National Office of Railways, estimated at 462.288 million dirhams, aimed at constructing stations along the high-speed line connecting Kenitra to Marrakech. This includes the high-speed train station in the Green City of Jnane, the regional rapid train station in the same area, along with the Sidi Bouathman and Sidi Ghanem stations, and the Marrakech stadium.
The selection of these specific sites underscores the strategic importance of not just bringing the high-speed train to Marrakech, but also creating a network of access points to the city and its surroundings that integrate national rapid transit with local services, connecting urban areas and major activity sites. This initiative gains particular significance in the context of preparations for the 2030 World Cup, as the rail connection to the Marrakech stadium is part of a broader strategy for managing crowd movement and access to stadiums.
According to the National Office of Railways, the project to extend the high-speed train from Kenitra to Marrakech spans approximately 430 kilometers, with expectations of reducing travel time between Tangier and Marrakech to under three hours. Additionally, linking the Marrakech stadium to the new network is a critical component of the transportation system associated with hosting the World Cup. The national railway program for 2024-2030 includes not only the high-speed line extension but also the development of regional rapid train networks, acquisition of new trains, and the upgrading of stations and railway facilities.
In the second position is the Marrakech municipality's project to enhance, strengthen, and expand the road linking the southern region of Mhamid to Bouakkaz Street, with an estimated budget exceeding 80.3 million dirhams. This initiative is part of strengthening the urban road network, which is expected to accommodate increased traffic between neighborhoods and major access points. Additionally, within the city, the wastewater management network emerges as a significant beneficiary of the current wave of investment. Three of the ten tenders are directly associated with rerouting network lines due to infrastructure projects, along with two additional contracts for rerouting the M complex in the Mhamid area, valued at 48 million dirhams for the first phase and 31.23 million dirhams for the third phase.
Notably, the regional multi-service company Marrakech-Asfi appears in several simultaneous tenders, including the rerouting of wastewater networks affected by the high-speed train construction, estimated at 21 million dirhams for the first phase and 16.8 million dirhams for the second phase. When accounting for the rerouting contracts of the M complex included in the list, the wastewater sector alone captures over 117 million dirhams from the ten tenders. These figures provide a crucial indication that the major projects in Marrakech necessitate parallel expenditures on networks and services to ensure that the facilities can operate effectively.
In the realm of public facilities, a contract for constructing the new headquarters of the Marrakech Urban Agency stands out, with a financial estimate of 33.2 million dirhams. This project is likely to enhance urban management and planning tools at a time when the implementation of major projects is accelerating, thereby increasing pressure on urban planning systems and land use management. As the kingdom's tourist capital prepares to welcome new tourist flows, crowds, and investments, there is a pressing need for institutions that can keep pace with this urban transformation.
Surrounding the city, a contract for the delegated management of the public service for household waste and similar facilities in the Tamsloht area is estimated at 14.21 million dirhams. This geographical area of the city has increasingly become home to residents, visitors, investments, hotels, and residential projects over recent years. In terms of the highway network, the National Road Office of Morocco has launched a tender valued at an estimated 13.6 million dirhams for the construction of stone barriers to address a section of excavation at kilometer point 350 and to manage a landslide at another section at kilometer point 356 along the Marrakech-Agadir highway.
The educational sector is also represented through a tender valued at approximately 12.94 million dirhams for the construction of the Souihla High School, which is a direct response to urban expansion that necessitates an increase in the capacity of social facilities, particularly educational institutions. In summary, these figures illustrate that the city of Marrakech is undergoing a multi-layered reorganization: rapid transportation above ground, wastewater networks below ground, urban and national roads, stadiums, an airport, cleanliness services, educational facilities, and urban planning agencies.
As reported by hespress.com.
