UK–Morocco partnership enters a new era of strategic cooperation

Wednesday 16 July 2025 - 10:46

Ben Coleman, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Morocco and West Africa, has praised Morocco’s progress under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, highlighting it as a key player in Africa and a strategic partner for the United Kingdom.

In an interview on the occasion of Morocco’s Throne Day, Coleman emphasized the “impressive pace and scope” of Morocco’s development, crediting the Kingdom’s economic reforms and the New Development Model for boosting infrastructure and investment attractiveness.

Coleman noted that Morocco’s transformation has opened up wide avenues for cooperation with the UK, particularly after the visit of UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to Rabat in June 2025. That visit marked the launch of an enhanced partnership spanning renewable energy, public health, transport, procurement, and climate action.

Looking ahead to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, Coleman suggested that the UK could support Morocco in project planning, stadium development, and hospitality management. The UK Export Finance agency has already earmarked £5 billion in funding for Moroccan infrastructure projects requiring just 20% UK content.

Beyond football, Coleman stressed that the two countries share a long history—more than 800 years of diplomatic relations and trade. Today, UK–Morocco trade has reached its highest levels since the 2019 Association Agreement.

On geopolitical matters, the envoy reaffirmed the UK’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara as “the most credible and pragmatic basis” for resolving the conflict.

Coleman also praised Morocco’s stabilizing role in the Sahel and across Africa, including the Atlantic Initiative aimed at granting Sahel countries access to the ocean. “The UK is committed to working with Morocco to harness its leadership for regional development,” he concluded.