Airbus and defense industry expansion in Morocco

Airbus is planning to expand its industrial presence in Morocco by approximately 30%. This expansion involves the establishment of a third factory dedicated to design, manufacturing, and assembly, adding roughly 23,000 square meters of facilities.

Further details indicate the expansion will include a new helicopter division, Airbus Hélicoptères Maroc. This division is intended to feature an integrated maintenance center to serve West African markets and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, particularly following orders for H225M tactical transport helicopters. The company’s existing operations in the country already employ over 1,300 people and support nearly 10,000 indirect jobs.

At the Marrakech Air Show 2026, these plans were highlighted as part of a broader national strategy to transition Morocco into a “high-tech aerospace and defense hub.” This industrial shift is being accompanied by other sector developments, including Thales’s partnership with Royal Air Maroc to digitalize flight operations and agreements by Harmattan AI to establish an engineering center in Rabat and a factory in Nouaceur.

Recent developments at the air show further illustrate this strategic shift. The UAE-based EDGE Group signed contracts with Morocco’s Administration of National Defence to supply precision-guided munitions, such as the Desert Sting 16 (DS-16) and Thunder P-31, to equip the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s unmanned combat aerial vehicle fleet. EDGE and Morocco also agreed to explore local production of small arms and aeronautical propulsion systems. Additionally, Harmattan AI, an AI unicorn specializing in autonomous defense, signed a strategic agreement with the Moroccan National Defense Administration. Meanwhile, Romanian defense company ROMARM participated to explore cooperation with the Moroccan Ministry of Defense regarding advanced technologies like satellite and artificial intelligence applications.