Morocco and Huawei sign deal to boost gaming industry

Thursday 09 April 2026 - 10:45

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco and Huawei sign deal to boost gaming industry

Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and Huawei Morocco have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the country’s gaming industry and strengthen its digital ecosystem. The agreement was concluded during GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech.

Minister Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid and Huawei Morocco CEO David Li formalized the deal in the presence of company representatives, setting out a framework to support the emergence of a competitive gaming sector. The initiative comes ahead of the Morocco Gaming Expo scheduled for May in Rabat.

Under the agreement, Huawei will equip dedicated workshop spaces during the event with tools and technical resources for developers. The company will also provide training and mentoring to five Moroccan video game developers selected by the ministry, with the aim of building skills and preparing local talent for international markets.

The partnership includes support for Moroccan teams participating in Huawei’s global technology programs. It reflects a cooperation model focused on skills transfer, innovation, and capacity building within creative and digital industries.

Huawei executives described the gaming sector as a strategic intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. The company said the initiative aligns with its broader goal of supporting youth-led innovation and contributing to economic value creation in Morocco.

The agreement builds on previous collaboration efforts. In 2025, five Moroccan startups, including Geek Culture Agency, AB Progress, Yaaz Company, KOKORO Games, and OCTAV Studio, joined a structured support program. They received access to cloud infrastructure, technical training, and mentoring to develop their projects and scale their presence in the gaming market.

The memorandum was signed during the fourth edition of GITEX Africa Morocco, which gathered more than 1,450 exhibitors and startups from over 145 countries. Organizers expected attendance to exceed 55,000 participants at the event held in Marrakech.

Morocco has increased investment in digital infrastructure in recent years. Government data shows that the digital budget rose from MAD 11 million in 2021 to more than MAD 1.7 billion in 2024. Authorities also reported progress in artificial intelligence readiness rankings and ongoing deployment of 5G networks targeting 45 percent population coverage by the end of 2026.

Huawei has operated in Morocco since 2002, with offices in Rabat and Casablanca. The company reports creating around 8,000 direct and indirect jobs and continues to run training initiatives aimed at developing local digital skills.

The agreement adds to a series of partnerships announced during GITEX Africa, reflecting Morocco’s strategy to position itself as a regional hub for digital industries and creative technologies. The Morocco Gaming Expo will serve as the first test of the partnership’s implementation.