Morocco plans Atlantic maritime control center to secure sea traffic

Wednesday 10 June 2026 - 15:23

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco plans Atlantic maritime control center to secure sea traffic

Morocco plans to establish a maritime navigation control center along the Atlantic corridor between Tarfaya and Laâyoune. The project aims to strengthen oversight of international shipping routes and improve maritime safety in the southern Atlantic zone, an area that sees heavy vessel traffic linking multiple continents.

The future center will operate in coordination with the Royal Navy. It will monitor ships crossing Atlantic waters from southern Africa and South America while passing through Moroccan maritime zones stretching from Lagouira to the northern coast. The system is designed to improve real-time tracking, coordination, and response capacity across key shipping lanes.

Authorities link the initiative to recommendations from a national maritime conference held in late May. The event gathered public and private stakeholders to review Morocco’s maritime strategy, with a focus on Atlantic development, logistics modernization, and regional cooperation with Sahel partners. Discussions also covered governance of maritime space, industrial upgrading, energy transition, and research capacity.

The government also faces a structural shortage in maritime training. The national maritime institute produces between 150 and 170 graduates annually, while demand reaches nearly 1,100 positions each year. Officials say this gap limits the availability of qualified officers and ship management professionals and requires an expansion of training capacity.

Plans are also under consideration for a maritime university on the Mediterranean coast. The institution would focus on digital navigation systems, modern maritime operations, and advanced officer training to meet evolving industry requirements. The education reform aims to align Morocco’s human resources with international maritime standards.

During the same policy update, authorities highlighted seasonal travel pressures involving more than 3.5 million passengers, particularly Moroccans living abroad. Multiple institutions coordinate logistics during peak summer movement, including security services and civil protection units, to manage flows across major ports.

Maritime operators are also working to expand passenger capacity on routes connecting Morocco with Spain, France, and Italy. New-generation vessels are expected to serve major crossings linking ports such as Tangier, Genoa, Sète, and Barcelona, reinforcing maritime connectivity across the western Mediterranean.