Morocco's maritime fleet strategy faces human resource challenges

On December 16, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh (Istiqlal), announced before the House of Councillors the launch of an ambitious international study to develop a new strategy for equipping Morocco with a «robust and competitive» maritime fleet. This Tuesday, January 20, from the same platform, the minister presented a somewhat revised version of the situation.

Responding to an oral question from the parliamentary councillors' group of the RNI, Abdessamad Kayouh revealed that «the international study has been completed for two months». He detailed that his department had engaged in consultations with the Ministries of the Interior, Transport, Agriculture, and Finance to solidify plans for establishing a national maritime fleet, in line with the royal directives from the speech on November 6, 2023.

The RNI parliamentary councillors' group subsequently urged the minister to disclose «the conclusions of the study». In his response, the Minister of Transport exposed a significant shortfall in qualified human resources. He expressed concern over the lack of specialized personnel, pointing out that the Higher Institute of Maritime Studies (ISEM) in Casablanca currently produces only «40 graduates per year», whereas the nation requires «900 personnel annually».

In his November 6, 2023 speech commemorating the 48th anniversary of the Green March, King Mohammed VI indeed emphasized the necessity of creating a «strong and competitive national merchant navy fleet».