Morocco renovating 45 stadiums, doubling airport capacity, ahead of World Cup

Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch (Image: Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)

The country, which will co-host the tournament with Spain and Portugal, will also double its airport capacity before fans arrive, said Aziz Akhannouch, in comments reported by Reuters.

Akhannouch told members of parliament that Casablanca’s airport capacity will be expanded to 23.3 million passengers, while tourist hubs Marrakech and Agadir will have a capacity of 14 million passengers and 6.3 million respectively by 2030.

Morocco received a record 15.9 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the total in the entire previous year thanks to more air routes, according to tourism ministry figures.

Morocco is also working to extend its high-speed train network to Marrakech before the World Cup, and further south to Agadir. And it is building a huge new stadium with 115,000 seats near Casablanca.

Investments in stadium construction and expansion would cost Morocco up to 5 billion dirhams ($500 million), the government has said.

Morocco is also hosting the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in 2025.