Casablanca has begun preparations, along with six other cities in the Kingdom, to host the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will organize alongside Spain and Portugal. The city is launching new projects and accelerating those already underway in a number of areas, including transport, sports and cultural infrastructures. These were the findings of a conference-debate organized by La Vie Eco on Thursday in Casablanca. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Casablanca is hard at work preparing to host, along with six other cities in the Kingdom, the major world soccer event to be held in Morocco in 2030 alongside Spain and Portugal. Development and extension of transport, sports and urban infrastructures... the country's economic capital is becoming an open-air construction site, according to speakers at a conference-debate entitled "Casablanca: Horizon 2030", organized by La Vie Eco on Thursday evening in Casablanca. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

In terms of mobility, the projects launched have enabled the city to carry around one million passengers a day, with a target of two million, says Nabila Rmili, President of the Casablanca City Council.

This achievement is due, she explains, to the various means of public transport, including the 700 buses, the two streetcar lines currently in operation, and the two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, which reached one million users in just 50 days of operation.

In addition to the development of the streetcar network, including the imminent commissioning of two further lines, mobility in Casablanca and the surrounding region will be enhanced by the introduction of an RER (Regional Express Network). Scheduled to link Benslimane to Nouaceur, this train network will be ready in four years' time, according to the mayor of Casablanca.

Two regional train lines are also scheduled to link Rabat to Settat and El Jadida-Jorf Lasfar.

A new large-scale railway station

At the same time, a new station will be built at Casablanca Sud. Promising to be a large-scale hub, this new rail infrastructure will accommodate streetcars, RER, TGV and regional trains, says Abdellatif Maâzouz, President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council.

To interconnect all these means of transport, an interoperability system will soon be implemented with the introduction of a single ticket, an item on the agenda for the May session of the city council, reports Nabila Rmili.

This interoperable ticketing system will be used for transport intermodality, starting with the existing system and extending to other means of transport to be introduced in the near future, says Abdellatif Maâzouz, revealing that a mobility platform (application) will be set up in early 2025. Rail (train and streetcar) will be the backbone of this intermodality, he notes.

Other projects underway in Casablanca include the creation of green spaces, cultural events in the city, the Casablanca aquarium project in partnership with CDG, the relocation of wholesale markets outside the city, with the creation of an agri-food platform, the new Casa-Rabat continental freeway, the forthcoming opening of the Aïn Sebaâ zoo and the grand theater of Casablanca.

Casablanca's grand stadium to the highest standards

Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman and CEO of Royal Air Maroc (RAM), Abdelhamid Addou, reiterated the company's objective of doubling the RAM fleet to 130 aircraft, increasing capacity at Mohammed V airport with the addition of a new terminal and improved infrastructure, and strengthening international air links from Casablanca.

For his part, Youssef Belqasmi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Société nationale de réalisation et gestion des stades (Sonarges), said that the project to build Casablanca's new stadium in Benslimane would be completed on schedule, in line with the latest FIFA standards. With a capacity of 115,000, the stadium will be able to host the world's biggest sporting events.

He also indicated that the Mohammed V sports complex in Casablanca would be rehabilitated in line with international standards, in preparation for Morocco's hosting of the CAN 2025.

Lahcen Oudoud  Abderrahim Et-Tahiry