Morocco invests $15.46 million to expand mosque infrastructure in 2025

Tuesday 11 February 2025 - 14:30

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco invests $15.46 million to expand mosque infrastructure in 2025

Morocco's Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has allocated MAD 154.6 million ($15.46 million) for mosque construction in 2025, as part of a comprehensive religious infrastructure development program. Minister Ahmed Toufiq announced the funding will support the completion of 23 ongoing mosque projects and initiate 9 new constructions.

The ministry has outlined several parallel initiatives, including MAD 275.5 million ($27.55 million) for rehabilitating and reconstructing damaged mosques, and MAD 146.9 million ($14.69 million) for preserving historic mosques. An additional MAD 264.9 million ($26.49 million) has been designated to equip 1,640 mosques with energy-efficient installations.

Following the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake, which affected 2,217 mosques, the ministry established a special three-year program with a MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million) budget to rehabilitate damaged religious buildings and waqfs. The ministry has successfully reopened 1,100 earthquake-affected mosques, though 1,454 remain closed, requiring approximately MAD 2 billion ($200 million) for rehabilitation.

Morocco currently maintains about 52,000 mosques nationwide, with 72% located in rural areas. The distribution shows notable regional disparities, with rural areas having approximately 15 mosques per 5,000 inhabitants, compared to 4 in urban centers.

The ministry is also developing 17 religious, administrative, and cultural complexes at a total cost of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million), with MAD 225 million ($22.5 million) allocated for their development and maintenance in the current fiscal year.

Recent technical assessments include 2,579 studies completed at MAD 45.5 million ($4.55 million), alongside 1,182 rehabilitation operations executed with a MAD 214 million ($21.4 million) budget. The ministry has equipped 1,190 mosques with portable fire extinguishers as part of its fire prevention program.

Since 2010, the mosque rehabilitation program has achieved significant progress, with 2,020 mosques rehabilitated at MAD 3.44 billion ($344 million) and 148 historic mosques restored. Currently, 563 mosques are undergoing rehabilitation at an estimated cost of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million), while 171 others are in the study and authorization phase, requiring MAD 195 million ($19.5 million).

The ministry has also connected over 600 rural mosques to electricity and water supplies, installed sanitary infrastructure in 2,334 mosques, and implemented energy-efficient technologies in 2,800 mosques. The total investment in these operations has reached MAD 4.5 billion ($450 million) to date.