Morocco: External Debt Exceeds $35.3b

A Moroccan woman counts change at a vegetable market in Casablanca. (Reuters)
A Moroccan woman counts change at a vegetable market in Casablanca. (Reuters)
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Morocco: External Debt Exceeds $35.3b

A Moroccan woman counts change at a vegetable market in Casablanca. (Reuters)
A Moroccan woman counts change at a vegetable market in Casablanca. (Reuters)

Morocco’s external debt reached MD337.84 billion (USD35.3 billion) at the end of June, registering an increase of around 3.4 percent compared to the beginning of the year.

The distribution of this debt by hard currency shows the continued dominance of the euro despite the decline in its share during the past five years for the benefit of the American dollar.

The total indebtedness in Euro reached 60.2 percent end of June, followed by the American dollar with 28.4 percent then Japanese yen with 3.6 percent.

The dollar share saw a continuous rise in the past five years, from 17.9 percent in 2014 to 28.4 percent currently. However, the euro share has been on the opposite track, dropping from 68.8 percent in 2014 to 60.2 percent today.

According to the credit parties, the share of the IMF and commercial banks reached 23.9 percent. Remarkably, it hiked by 4.82 percent compared to the beginning of the year.

The funding received by Morocco from multilateral international institutions represents the lion’s share in the external debt (49.5 percent). Debt from bilateral sources totaled 26.6 percent.

Further, Morocco’s external debt distribution based on the borrowing parties shows that the government’s treasury registered 45.8 percent of this debt at the end of June, while the public institutions reached 53.5 percent.

However the share of other parties such as municipalities and banks registered 0.7 percent of the total external debt.



Kuwait Seeks to Offer Flexible Incentives to Attract Foreign Investments

Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
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Kuwait Seeks to Offer Flexible Incentives to Attract Foreign Investments

Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)

Mohammad Yaqoub, Assistant Director General for Business Development at Kuwait’s Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), announced that Kuwait is actively working to boost investments in emerging sectors such as the management of government facilities, hospitals, and ports, including Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

He added that his country is collaborating with Saudi Arabia on joint projects, notably the development of a railway linking the two nations.

Speaking at the 28th Annual Global Investment Conference in Riyadh, Yaqoub highlighted the 650-kilometer railway project, which is expected to cut travel time between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to under three hours. He clarified that this initiative is separate from the broader GCC railway network under development.

The official further emphasized Kuwait’s commitment to offering streamlined processes and incentives to attract foreign investment in critical sectors such as oil and gas, healthcare, education, and technology.

Since January 2015, the Gulf country has attracted cumulative foreign investments valued at approximately 1.7 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($5.8 billion). During the 2023–2024 fiscal year, KDIPA reported foreign investment inflows amounting to 206.9 million Kuwaiti dinars ($672 million).

Yaqoub stressed that KDIPA is focused on creating an investor-friendly environment by offering flexible incentives to attract international companies. He noted Saudi Arabia’s achievements in this area and highlighted his country’s efforts to provide comparable benefits to foreign investors.

He also expressed optimism about the potential for growth in foreign investments in Kuwait, emphasizing their role in advancing economic development in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Yaqoub also underscored the strong synergy between the Kuwaiti and Saudi markets, which he said will help accelerate economic progress across the region.