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since 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Morocco Africa

Morocco Sets US$1.1 Billion for City Buses

By · · 4 min read
A red tram stops at a lit platform beside a white building with a green tiled Moroccan arch at night in Casablanca
Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Morocco · Transport

Morocco’s Interior Ministry says a programme worth 11 billion dirhams (about US$1.13 billion) will modernise city and suburban transport between 2025 and 2029, with about 3,800 new buses planned. Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit gave the figures to the Interior Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, while presenting his ministry’s 2027 budget.

Morocco will co-host the 2030 men’s football World Cup with Spain and Portugal, so working city transport is a visible test for the government. The dirham figures here use 9.76 dirhams per US dollar, the market rate on 10 November 2026.

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Key Facts

  • The money 11 billion dirhams (about US$1.13 billion) for urban and suburban transport, 2025 to 2029.
  • The fleet About 3,800 new buses with smart systems, plus depots, bus stops and maintenance centres.
  • The tenders Calls for tenders have been launched for 513 buses.
  • The fund A transport reform fund held 18 billion dirhams (about US$1.84 billion) by 30 June 2026.
  • The plans 13 urban mobility plans are finished in 12 cities; seven more areas are preparing theirs.

What the Minister Announced

Laftit told the committee that a framework agreement covers 11 billion dirhams (about US$1.13 billion) of investment from 2025 to 2029 to modernise urban and suburban transport. It pays for about 3,800 buses with intelligent systems, as well as depots, bus stops and maintenance centres.

Tenders have been launched for a first lot of 513 buses. No delivery dates were given.

Where the Money Comes From

The state fund that supports urban transport reform held resources of 18 billion dirhams (about US$1.84 billion) as of 30 June 2026, and had paid out nearly 13 billion dirhams (about US$1.33 billion) in aid. The Interior Ministry’s own contribution between 2014 and 2026 was about 8.67 billion dirhams (about US$0.89 billion).

Traffic on Boulevard Zerktouni in front of the Twin Center towers in Casablanca, Morocco
Traffic on Boulevard Zerktouni in front of the Twin Center office towers in Casablanca. File photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Which Cities Are in Line

Thirteen sustainable urban mobility plans are finished in 12 cities, and seven more urban areas are preparing or updating theirs. Accounts of the hearing do not say how many cities the 11 billion dirhams will cover.

The first batch of tenders came in January 2025, when Laftit told the House of Councillors, the upper house, that tenders were launched for 1,317 buses for Fez, Marrakech, Tangier, Tetouan, Agadir and Ben Slimane. All 1,317 were for six cities, not the whole country.

A national strategy for rural school transport is also being prepared with partners, the minister told the committee. He gave no date for it.

What It Means for You

Visitors heading to Morocco for the 2030 World Cup should expect more modern buses in big cities, although the programme runs to 2029 and delivery is staged. Investors in Moroccan transport should note that the programme separates buying the buses from running them, which operators do under delegated management, a public contract to run the service, as Laftit described in January 2025.

No current price or official statistic beyond the figures above bears on this announcement, so we attach none. The next checkpoint is parliament’s handling of the 2027 budget, of which this presentation is part; for the wider World Cup picture see our report on the jobs Morocco expects from the World Cup and the new Nador container terminal.

What Is Not Known

The bus total has risen from 3,746 in January 2025 to about 3,800 in the latest figures, and it is not clear whether the scope grew or the figure was rounded. Delivery dates for the 513 buses under tender are also not stated.

How the 513 buses under tender relate to buses already delivered in the first phase is not explained. More Moroccan news is on our Morocco page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is Morocco spending on city buses?

The Interior Ministry says a programme of 11 billion dirhams (about US$1.13 billion) will run from 2025 to 2029 for urban and suburban transport. The money pays for buses, depots, bus stops and maintenance centres.

How many new buses are planned?

About 3,800, with tenders launched for a first lot of 513. The figure given in January 2025 was 3,746.

Which cities benefit?

The 2025 tenders covered Fez, Marrakech, Tangier, Tetouan, Agadir and Ben Slimane. Thirteen urban mobility plans are finished in 12 cities.

Sources: Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit’s presentation of the Interior Ministry’s 2027 budget to the Interior Committee of the House of Representatives (early November 2026); his statement to the House of Councillors on 28 January 2025; the House of Councillors session of that date. Read 10 November 2026. Exchange rate: 9.76 dirhams per US dollar, spot, 10 November 2026.

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