In Washington, Moroccan Finance Minister praises economic ties with Israel

As part of her visit to Washington, D.C., for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, took part in a public panel organized by the North Africa Program at the Stimson Center. She discussed Morocco’s ongoing economic transformations, financial and investment reforms, and touched on relations with Israel.

Responding to a question about the economic benefits of Morocco’s normalization agreement with Israel, the minister said that the Kingdom has begun to «build strong economic ties covering areas such as tourism, technology, and innovation».

«I believe the pace of development has slowed in recent years, but the story of our economic relations remains strong and long-standing», she added. «We have much to learn, especially in the field of water desalination, a solution that has proven successful in Israel and provided many opportunities for farmers».

Fettah Alaoui emphasized Morocco’s own challenges with water scarcity, noting, «We must ensure water access for our population to sustain livelihoods and agricultural activity. There is expertise available, and we can build on it as a model to follow».

It is worth recalling that since Morocco and Israel signed the normalization agreement on December 22, 2020, bilateral relations have expanded across several sectors, including economic, security, and military cooperation, before entering a period of stagnation following the events of October 7, 2023.