Morocco sets opening dates for its Nador and Dakhla deepwater ports

In December 2025 Morocco set a timetable for two new deepwater ports: Nador West Med on the Mediterranean in late 2026, and Dakhla Atlantique in Western Sahara in 2028.

Nador West Med is Morocco's third deepwater port after Tanger Med and Jorf Lasfar. It allocates 800 hectares to industrial activity with expansion plans to 5,000 hectares, and will host Morocco's first LNG terminal — a floating storage and regasification unit connected by pipeline to industrial hubs in the northwest. Backed by over €300m in European financing, it is designed to handle 3.5–5.5 million containers a year, with operational conventions signed with major shipping lines, notably CMA CGM, guaranteeing 3 million containers annually.

Dakhla Atlantique is a $1bn port with 1,600 hectares for industrial activity and 5,200 hectares of farmland irrigated with desalinated water. At 23 metres it will be Morocco's deepest port, built to serve heavy industries processing raw materials from Sahel countries. Both ports include quays dedicated to exporting green hydrogen once production begins.