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Global airlines are projected to record a net profit of $36 billion, with total industry revenue reaching $979 billion
Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to bolster the industry as part of their economic diversification efforts
Middle East airlines are forecast to post the world’s highest net profit margin in 2025 of 8.7 percent, outpacing global peers, according to the latest industry report.
The forecast, released by the International Air Transport Association during its 81st Annual General Meeting in New Delhi, also projects that airlines operating in the Middle East will generate a net profit of $6.2 billion this year — slightly up from $6.1 billion in 2024. The region is also expected to earn $27.20 per passenger.
Globally, airlines are projected to record a net profit of $36 billion, with total industry revenue reaching $979 billion — below IATA’s earlier $1 trillion estimate, due in part to macroeconomic uncertainties and supply constraints.
The growth of the aviation sector in the Middle East reflects broader regional expansion, as countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to bolster the industry as part of their economic diversification efforts.
Ilies is making a name for himself in the football landscape, especially with the Atlas Cubs.
Morocco’s rising star Ilies Belmokhtar has been named the best U17 youth player competing in France at the inaugural Golden Kid Awards.
Le Monde Du Foot reported that Belmokhtar is taking home a well-deserved recognition, rewarding his exceptional 2024-2025 season.
“For this inaugural edition, Ilies Belmokhtar truly shone. Gifted with genuine tactical maturity, he was one of the key architects of AS Monaco’s success in youth competitions this season,” the same source said.
Commenting on his new achievement, Belmokhtar commented that the award is a “great pride.”
“Especially to my parents, I hope they are proud of me,” he said .
The same sports-focused website recalled the triumphs the Atlas Cub has achieved with Morocco , including his U17 Africa Cup of Nations win in April.
The Golden Kid awards seek to recognize the best young developing players in France. The initiative is the fruit of L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi and streamer Isoline Almeida.
In May, Ilies Belmokhtar signed his first professional contract with AS Monaco.
Belmokhtar was born in Ivry-sur-Seine in 2008, and joined the AS Monaco Academy in 2023.
In April, the Atlas Cub was among the five players from the national U-17 team selected for the Best XI of the Under-17 AFCON in its 15th edition.
In addition to Belmokhtar, the players chosen for the Best XI include: goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch, right-back Moncef Zekri, central defender Driss Aït Chiekh, and attacking midfielder Abdellah Ouazzane.
Morocco’s AFCON triumph came after a dramatic 0-0 draw against Mali in the final, followed by a 4-2 win in the penalty shootout, securing their spot in football history.
United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, has continued its global track record of accomplishments by securing three new Guinness World Records. This remarkable achievement further strengthens UDC’s position as one of the leading real estate developers in the region.
During an official ceremony, Yasser Salah Al-Jaidah, CEO of United Development Company, received the Guinness World Record certificates in recognition of these milestones, which include the largest outdoor air-conditioned shopping mall, Largest outdoor interactive lighting canopy, located on Gewan Island, and Largest pneumatic waste management network on the Pearl Island.
Largest outdoor air-conditioned mall
The Crystal Walk not only establishes itself as the largest outdoor air-conditioned mall with 7,360 square meters (79222.41 sq ft) but also impresses visitors with its exceptional design and amenities. A standout feature is the breathtaking crystal display, featuring over 10 tons of crystals and a 1000- meter crystal path, the longest in the world, creating a visually stunning environment that enhances the shopping experience.
Thanks to its state-of-the-art cooling technology, The Crystal Walk maintains a comfortable environment by achieving temperatures as low as 21- 23 degrees Celsius during the summer season. This ensures shoppers enjoy a pleasant and refreshing experience, regardless of the outdoor weather. Maintaining a consistently pleasant atmosphere, even during Qatar’s hot summers, is achieved through a cutting-edge district cooling system. This system offers significant advantages over traditional individual air conditioning units, Lower energy consumption directly translates to a smaller carbon footprint. The reduced reliance on individual air conditioning units minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, promoting a more environmentally friendly approach to retail development and Centralized cooling systems offer greater reliability than individual units. A centralized system is easier to monitor, maintain, and repair, leading to fewer disruptions and improved overall efficiency.
The 10 Crystal buildings were positioned in an oriented maximizing shading, providing a flow stream of airflow improving cooling while deploying a high-tech energy-efficient cooling system that conserves energy by at least 20% compared with conventional systems and this system mobilized a chilled water district cooling system that future reduce carbon emissions and footprint by at lowest 20 – 50% of the crystal walk.
With over 100 unique retail experiences that cater to a luxurious lifestyle, The Crystal Walk offers a diverse range of brands along with exquisite dining options. This combination of luxury and innovation transforms the mall into a comprehensive lifestyle destination, attracting a distinguished clientele.
Recently, The Crystal Walk has registered for the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) under the Green Ozone Rating for Design (GORD) certification. This commitment to sustainable design and construction is evident in features such as optimized building designs for energy efficiency and the incorporation of native landscaping and tropical landscaping with more than 13,000 tropical plants. This recognition highlights the mall’s dedication to environmental responsibility and efficiency.
The combination of luxurious offerings, innovative cooling solutions, and commitment to sustainability makes The Crystal Walk a pioneering destination for shoppers and a model for future developments in retail architecture.
Largest outdoor interactive lighting canopy
Beyond the cooling system, the Crystal Walk also boasts the world’s largest outdoor interactive lighting canopy, covering an impressive 3,689.55 square meters (39,713.98 square feet).
This architectural marvel seamlessly blends art and technology, providing functional shade during the day and transforming into a mesmerizing light display at night, enhancing the already captivating ambience at night. This record-breaking canopy utilizes state-of-the-art LED lighting technology, offering significant advantages over traditional lighting solutions:
l Energy Efficiency: The LEDs boast an energy savings of 20% – 50% compared to conventional lighting, contributing substantially to the overall sustainability goals of Gewan Island. This reduction in energy consumption translates to lower operating costs and a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
l Longevity: LEDs have a much longer lifespan than traditional lighting, minimizing maintenance requirements and reducing waste.
l Versatility and Control: The advanced LED system allows for dynamic and customizable lighting displays, offering unparalleled versatility in creating captivating visual effects.
The lighting canopy is more than just illumination; it’s an interactive spectacle. Over 1000 individual lighting points are meticulously coordinated, creating a mesmerizing array of colors, patterns, and effects. This sophisticated system integrates seamlessly with a state-of-the-art music system, synchronizing the light displays with music to create a truly immersive and unforgettable experience for visitors. The lighting choreography can be programmed to adapt to different events, moods, and times of day and interact with live music, ensuring a constantly evolving and engaging visual feast.
During the day, the canopy provides much-needed shade, enhancing the comfort of shoppers exploring the Crystal Walk’s unique retail experiences. This thoughtful design maximizes natural light while minimizing direct sunlight exposure. The combination of advanced cooling systems and intelligent shading strategies allows for a pleasant and comfortable outdoor shopping environment regardless of the climate.
This impressive interactive lighting canopy, alongside the other innovative features of the Crystal Walk, showcases UDC’s commitment to creating exceptional spaces where luxury, technology, and sustainability converge. It’s not just a retail destination, but a destination for experiencing technological innovation within a luxurious and environmentally responsible environment.
Largest pneumatic waste management network
Furthermore, the company achieved another global milestone with the largest pneumatic waste management network on The Pearl Island, utilizing an advanced Pneumatic system for efficient and sustainable waste collection. These innovative solutions reflect UDC’s commitment to smart environmental practices and sustainability, this system achieves fully operational 66 kilometers (41.01 miles) and more than 500 chute inlets.
The advanced pneumatic waste management system also brings a number of environmental and community benefits. It reduces vehicular movement, leading to a decrease in direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions in the area. By minimizing traffic congestion around The Pearl Island, the system helps maintain better road service levels. The system is the first of its kind in the country since the island’s inception, with an expanded network and a recent extension to Gewan Island. Moreover, the system promotes a convenient, clean, and sustainable lifestyle, encouraging residents to maintain a clean community.
On Gewan Island, the new waste management system takes advantage of the opportunity to segregate waste at disposal sites through a dual chute system. This initiative engages the community in waste segregation and aims to increase participation in recycling efforts. Currently, the recycling rate stands at 36%, highlighting the company’s commitment to sustainable practices and its ongoing efforts to improve environmental impact.
Commenting on this achievement, Al-Jaidah said, “This accomplishment reflects our ambitious vision and commitment to developing world-class projects that incorporate advanced technologies and sustainability principles. We are incredibly proud to achieve these Guinness World Records and will continue to deliver exceptional developments that enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors to The Pearl and Gewan Islands. We look forward to reaching new milestones that strengthen our leadership in the real estate sector.”
This recognition adds to United Development Company’s impressive track record of global achievements, having received numerous prestigious awards and certificates across various fields. Notable among these are the Crystal Residence GSAS 3 stars design and build certification, Green Organization Awards, Best CSR Awards, Golden Globe Tiger Awards, and Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards. These awards highlight the company’s continuous commitment to innovation and sustainability, reinforcing its position as a leader in the real estate development sector.
UDC continues its pursuit of further global achievements by developing integrated real estate projects that adhere to the highest standards of quality and innovation. These projects further cement The Pearl and Gewan Islands as premier destinations in the region, attracting visitors and investors seeking exceptional residential and commercial environments.
Model & Lifestyle Influencer Nour Arida Joins Serena Williams in Audemars Piguet Campaign.
When Audemars Piguet picked the faces for its 150th anniversary campaign, it chose icons. Nour Arida was the only Arab woman among them.
In the world of luxury watchmaking, Arab women aren’t often on the moodboard. But this year, that changed.
For its 150th anniversary, Audemars Piguet didn’t just call in the usual faces – it summoned a lineup of global icons. Serena Williams. Winnie Harlow. Tamara Kalinic. And, for the first time ever, an Arab woman: Nour Arida.
Draped in AP’s legacy, the Lebanese model-slash-creative-slash-cultural force owned the frame.
“I always try to push boundaries,” Arida says, in what might be the understatement of the year. “It’s like being part of a real family, being part of the AP family.”
The UAE maintained its position as the top destination for deals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the first quarter of 2025, with a total of 63 deals worth $20.3 billion.
The UAE remains the preferred destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region by 2025, accounting for 53% of the total number of incoming deals and 99% of their total value. Austria was the leading investor, accounting for 94% of the total value of incoming deals, driven primarily by a major deal in the chemicals sector.
This was stated in a report issued by Ernst & Young (EY) on “Mergers and Acquisitions in the Middle East and North Africa”, which indicated that the region recorded an increase in deal activity during the first quarter of 2025, with 225 deals compared to 172 deals in the same period last year, representing a 31% increase in the number of deals year-on-year. The total value of announced deals in the first quarter of this year also increased by 66% to reach US$46 billion, compared to US$27.6 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
role in deal volume and value, with 117 deals recorded, representing 52% of the total number of deals, valued at USD 37.3 billion, or 81% of the total value of announced deals. The first quarter of 2025 saw the highest cross-border deal activity, both in terms of volume and value, compared to the same period in the past five years, as companies increasingly sought to grow and diversify outside their home markets.
“We saw a steady flow of M&A deals in 2025, and the MENA region will continue to experience strong deal flow for the remainder of 2025,” said Brad Watson, MENA Leader, EY-Parthenon. “This strong deal flow is driven by regulatory reforms, policy shifts, and a positive macroeconomic outlook, including easing interest rates and improved investor confidence.”
contributed 48% of the total number of deals in the first quarter of 2025. This growth in local M&A deals is in line with the International Monetary Fund’s forecast of 3.6% GDP growth for the Middle East and North Africa region this year, supported by the strong momentum of M&A activity around the world. Companies are re-aligning their strategies to better meet the needs of diversification, digital transformation, and the integration of emerging technologies.
He stressed that the UAE maintained its position as the top destination in the Middle East and North Africa region in the first quarter of 2025, recording 63 deals worth a total of USD 20.3 billion. Kuwait ranked second in terms of deal revenue, with USD 2.3 billion, driven by two major deals in the diversified industrial products and energy and utilities sectors.
During the first three months of 2025, Canada attracted the highest value of outbound deals from Middle Eastern and North African investors, at US$6.4 billion, while the United States remained the preferred target destination in terms of the number of deals.
number of deals in the first quarter of 2025, while the value of deals increased significantly to USD 8.7 billion, compared to USD 1.69 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
The technology sector led local mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the first quarter of 2025, contributing 37% of the total value of local deals and 27% of the total number of deals.
Inter-regional deals involving the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia accounted for 83% of the total value of local deals and 56% of the total number, highlighting the strong activity of cross-regional mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the technology, industrial, and real estate sectors.
foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first few months of 2025, with the number of inbound deals increasing by 21% and their value rising to USD 17.6 billion, compared to USD 2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
The report indicated a 63% increase in the number of deals issued during the first three months of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024, reaching USD 19.7 billion, contributing 43% of the total deal value. The UAE and Saudi Arabia topped the list of deals issued from the Middle East and North Africa region, accounting for 77% of the total number of deals and 94% of their total value.
Anil Menon, MENA M&A and Capital Markets Leader, EY-Parthenon, said: “The MENA deal market has remained resilient, and the MENA deal pipeline for the rest of 2025 is promising and strong, with increased activity expected in the consumer, technology, and energy sectors. Artificial intelligence will drive fundamental value shifts, as we see significant capital allocation in technology.”
Renowned Lebanese novelist, journalist, critic and lifetime advocate of the Palestinian cause Elias Khoury died on Sunday aged 76. We delve into his life & work.
Elias Khoury (1948-2024), who died last Sunday in Beirut, once said: “I confess I’m scared. I’m scared of a history that has only one version. History has dozens of versions, and for it to ossify into one leads only to death.”
This sentence remains highly significant when it comes to defining the career of the Lebanese novelist, storyteller, critic, and journalist.
In his career, in both literary terms and human, as all of the above, he never ceased to experiment and innovate, but more than that, his work showed his deep preoccupation with the search for the meaning in history and events, and the significance of this aspect is evident in most of his literary works.
It was perhaps the Palestinian issue, which took on a central place in many of his works, where he probed the sufferings which had befallen the Palestinian people and the dilemma of their fragmentation.
He did this by intertwining the human and political dimensions using characters and events, which were both rooted in reality – yet brimming with imagination.
This style was among what imbued his works with a literary depth and created a unique experience for the reader.
The way he interwove these aspects allowed him to explore psychological, political and cultural worlds, through characters and events which in some cases seemed unconventional, often relying on the technique of polyphony (using multiple voices), and alternating between narrative and inner dialogue.
Time, as a concept in his novels, was often non-linear, reflecting the complexities of life and memory.
This style is clearly evident in novels like Yalo and Gate of the Sun, where his poetic prose infuses the narrative with an aesthetic beauty.
However, when it came to addressing issues around identity and belonging, Khoury often relied on the emotional depth of the characters and events to tackle these aspects; he dealt with Palestinian and Lebanese identity in relation to their background of political unrest, occupation, and displacement.
In this way, he offered ethical and philosophical insights into the meanings of belonging in a world beset by constant upheaval.
The theme of Palestinian asylum appears extensively in his most prominent works, rooted in the many stories he collected from refugee camps during the long years of Israel’s occupation.
Many critics consider his novel Gate of the Sun (“Bab Al-Shams”) (1998) to be the first epic work with regard to the Palestinian narrative, which gave voice to their unfinished journey and their continuing torment.
The novel Gate of the Sun was associated with a later youth-led experiment opposing settler colonialism in the Palestinian territories in 2013, where young Palestinian activists gave the novel’s name to a tent village they established that year on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israeli forces demolished the site less than two days after it was erected.
In 2013, Khoury gave a speech from Beirut to a group of 250 Palestinian activists who had been involved in establishing the Gate of the Sun encampment.
He said among other things that day: “I will not say, ‘I wish I were with you,’ for I am with you … This is the Palestine that Yunis envisioned in the novel Bab Al-Shams.”
The stories in this novel, although told from the viewpoint of Khalil, one of its protagonists, are written as different versions of the same story, with the narrator moving back and forth with the passage of time, as he wrestles with the evasiveness of memory, and questions of motive and identity, which reflect the instability of the truth, and the impossibility of capturing even one version of it.
In one interview, Khoury said: “I discovered, to my surprise, that there were basically no written accounts of the war. There was no archive to consult, there were only the whispers you might hear at home—the Druze killed your grandfather, the Christians murdered your uncle, that kind of thing.
“To me, this lack of a specifically written past meant that we Lebanese had no present, either. I’m not interested in memory as such, I’m interested in the present. But to have a present, you have to know which things to forget and which things to remember. Our lack of written history made me feel that I didn’t even know the country I grew up in. I didn’t know my place in it.
“I don’t think I made any great discoveries as a historian, but when I began writing novels, a few years later, I found that I wanted to write the present—the present of our own civil war.”
In his novel, White Masks (1981), which he wrote during the Lebanese Civil War, Khoury used a journalistic style to portray the physical devastation wrought on Beirut, its buildings and infrastructure, and the psychological toll of the war on its residents. He dealt with issues rarely addressed by Arabic novelists at that time, like women’s rights, societal restrictions and religion.
Moreover, in his novels, Khoury did not simply describe the horrors that took place, but went further: he went into their impact on people, nature and relationships.
The relevance of the colour white in this novel is in its ability to reveal; its symbolism of light, which exposes things as they are, revealing scenes with all the absurdity, tragedy, and madness they contain.
Khoury did this, letting us read into phenomena and what lay behind them, to understand what was happening around us, so that we would not unwittingly become tools in a game in which we had no choice but compliance; to perform a part.
This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition. To read the original article click here
Translated by Rose Chacko
This article is taken from our Arabic sister publication, Al-Araby Al Jadeed and mirrors the source’s original editorial guidelines and reporting policies. Any requests for correction or comment will be forwarded to the original authors and editors
Have questions or comments? Email us at: info@alaraby.co.uk
Technology Innovation Institute says model is ‘one of the most advanced Arabic’ offerings.
Concerns that Arabic might be left behind in the fast-developing AI sector are starting to evaporate with the introduction of the Falcon Arabic language model, created in Abu Dhabi.
The model was unveiled on Wednesday by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) , an Abu Dhabi government-backed research centre which first introduced its Falcon large language model back in 2023.
Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, spoke about the development as a leap forward for Arabic at the UAE’s Make it in the Emirates event.
“We’re proud to finally bring Arabic to Falcon, and prouder still that the best-performing large language model in the Arab world was built in the UAE,” he said.
According to TII, Falcon Arabic is trained on a native (non-translated) Arabic data set that covers both Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects.
“It captures the full linguistic diversity of the Arab world,” said TII.
The research centre also said that so far the model outperforms other Arabic language models.
Large language models are complex systems designed to be trained on large amounts of text and data that help AI implementations identify patterns, come to conclusions and even understand nuances. In short, the models can make or break the user experience with AI.
Although Arabic is spoken by about 400 million people worldwide, it was not initially a focus during the initial growth of AI and large language models, with English the most prevalent.
The complexity and diversified Arabic dialects, coupled with various language nuances, posed a challenge for engineers and programmers trying to perfect machine learning technologies.
In recent years, the UAE has sought to bolster Arabic’s presence in the AI race.
In 2023, Jais, an open-source bilingual Arabic-English model, was introduced by G42, Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Silicon Valley-based Cerebras Systems.
Later that year, Jais Climate , the world’s first bilingual large language model dedicated to climate intelligence was also announced.
In addition to Falcon Arabic, TII also announced on Wednesday the release of its Falcon H1 model, which it says “outperforms comparable offerings from Meta’s LLaMA and Alibaba’s Qwen, enabling real-world AI on everyday devices and in resource-limited settings”.
The research centre explained that efficiency was at the core of Falcon H1 development.
“This fundamentally shifts what’s possible at the smallest scale, enabling powerful AI on edge devices where privacy, efficiency, and low latency are critical,” said Hakim Hacid, chief researcher at the TII AI and digital science research centre.
“It demonstrates how new architectures can unlock new opportunities in AI training while showcasing the potential of ultra-compact models.”
Saif Karam, a student at the Government Model High School and a member of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, won first place globally in the Chemistry Awards category. He participated with the national delegation, sponsored by the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF 2025), hosted by Ohio, USA.
Saif Karam received the award from the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies supporting chemistry research, for his project, “Developing a Classification of New Materials Used to Convert Carbon Dioxide into Valuable Multi-Carbon Compounds, Opening Broad Horizons for Application and Use in the Fields of Industry and Sustainable Energy.
Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, regarding the importance of building generations that innovate in all fields to preserve the richness and diversity of human production. It also embodies the prominent pioneering role of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation in empowering future generations to lead the future.
It also comes as a culmination of the concerted efforts, constructive cooperation, and effective partnership that brought together the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators and the Ministry of Education, which is keen to cooperate with all its partners to highlight their talents and scientific capabilities in international forums. Saif completed his project with academic support from the University of Sharjah, while he was introduced to performing theoretical calculations on high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
Khalifa University played a pivotal role in enabling Saif Karam to complete his project and experiments. He worked under the direct supervision of Dr. Sharmarke Mohammed, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Head of the Chemical Crystallography Laboratory (CCL) at Khalifa University, along with his team in the University’s Chemistry Department, who provided comprehensive academic supervision during the preparation of the scientific paper.
This included the implementation of computational and experimental research aspects completed in the university laboratories, including performing theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) on high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
Jassim Al Balushi, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, and Mohammed Abdul Qader, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Strategy Sector at the Ministry of Education, received Saif Karam and the national delegation participating in the ISEF 2025 exhibition in appreciation of them.
Chef Mostafa Seif of Khufu’s has been awarded the Skillet of Distinction by The Best Chef Awards, becoming the first Egyptian chef to receive the accolade. The award follows Seif’s recognition last year as the first Egyptian to earn a one-knife “Excellent” rating under the awards’ updated tiered system.
The Best Chef Awards, which moved away from its traditional top-100 ranking in 2023, now recognises chefs through one, two, or three “knives,” denoting levels of excellence. Seif’s one-knife placement in Dubai was the first for an Egyptian chef and signalled growing international attention to his work.
At Khufu’s – founded by Pier 88 Hospitality’s Giovanni Bolandrini – Seif leads a kitchen grounded in technical discipline and regionally sourced ingredients. His cooking is rooted in Egyptian culinary traditions but avoids nostalgia or showmanship, favouring clarified broths, cured seafood, and slow-roasted meats that reflect a restrained, detail-oriented approach.
In January, Seif participated in The World’s 50 Best Signature Sessions in Abu Dhabi, where he co-hosted a dinner with Argentinian chef Sergio Cabrera at MouzMari. He also joined 50 Best Talks for a panel titled Memory on a Plate, exploring the role of food in cultural and personal memory.
The Skillet of Distinction acknowledges Seif’s consistency in the kitchen and his contribution to platforming Egyptian cuisine in international settings – through technique rather than adaptation.
The pact interweaves water security, renewable energy mastery, and industrial sovereignty – binding Morocco’s future with a 1,400 km electricity superhighway, four desalination jewels, and 25,000 employment opportunities in a $14 billion choreography.
The largest private investment in Morocco’s modern history has just been inscribed in the country’s economic annals. Yesterday, the country sealed an extraordinary $14 billion accord with the United Arab Emirates – an injection of unprecedented scale that promises to permanently alter the country’s water and energy equation, while fundamentally reshaping its infrastructure landscape for generations to come.
The ceremonial ink still fresh, the agreement binds Morocco’s government and the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) with a consortium of financial titans: the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, TAQA Morocco (the local subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s energy colossus), and Nareva (the energy arm of the royal holding Al Mada).
At MAD 130 billion ($14 billion), this collaboration transcends mere commercial arrangement – it heralds a profound reengineering of critical national infrastructure by 2030.
Central to this ambitious blueprint stands a colossal 1,400-kilometer high-voltage transmission corridor stretching from Western Sahara to Casablanca, complemented by a network of sophisticated seawater desalination facilities.
These projects emerge as the culmination of meticulous diplomatic chess moves, coming just five months after King Mohammed VI’s private visit to Abu Dhabi and 18 months following his official state visit to the Emirati capital, where the groundwork for this Moroccan-Emirati renaissance was carefully laid.
Desert kingdoms understand water’s value. The consortium’s hydric strategy unfolds with architectural precision: a vast network connecting the Sebou and Oum Rabia river basins, engineered to channel 800 million cubic meters annually across thirsty territories.
The first phase of water transfer between the Sebou and Bouregreg basins became operational in August 2023, successfully diverting approximately 350 million cubic meters to the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam, critical for supplying drinking water to the Rabat region.
Four jewels in this water crown will rise across Morocco’s map. In Tanger, a 50-million-cubic-meter annual capacity station will quench the industrial thirst of this burgeoning port hub.
Nador’s installation, six times more ambitious at 300 million cubic meters, will transform the eastern region’s hydric calculus. The agricultural heartland of Souss will benefit from Tiznit’s 350-million-cubic-meter facility – the largest of the quartet. Completing this hydraulic network, either Tan-Tan or Guelmim will host a 100-million-cubic-meter operation to serve the arid southern frontier.
These cutting-edge desalination facilities, engineered to operate exclusively on renewable energy, will collectively produce 900 million cubic meters annually.
Notably, they will maintain competitive pricing at or below MAD 4.50 per cubic meter (excluding tax), aligning with national benchmark rates established for ongoing desalination initiatives – all without requiring public subsidies.
The electric heartbeat: Energy sovereignty reimagined
The consortium’s energy infrastructure vision is anchored by a groundbreaking high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission network spanning 1,400 kilometers between Morocco’s southern territories and its central economic hub.
This sophisticated “electricity highway” will connect Dakhla to Casablanca with a 3,000 megawatt capacity, dramatically strengthening energy distribution capabilities while catalyzing economic and industrial development throughout the corridor.
This transmission masterpiece will be fed by 1,200 megawatts of fresh renewable capacity, predominantly harvested from the sun-drenched southern provinces. The geographic strategy is to harness the natural abundance of Morocco’s desert regions, translate it into clean energy, and deliver it to industrial centers at competitive rates.
Complementing these renewable ambitions, the Tahaddart complex will undergo a renaissance. This gas-fired installation will see its capacity quadrupled through new combined-cycle units, elevating total output to 1,500 megawatts. This expansion offers crucial ballast to a grid increasingly danced upon by the variable rhythms of wind energy.
The human dividend, capital choreography, and implementation cadence
Beyond pipes and pylons lies perhaps the most valuable yield: people. This grand design promises to spawn over 25,000 employment opportunities through construction and operation, with 10,000 permanent positions taking root after commissioning.
The consortium envisions not merely infrastructure but ecosystem – a fertile soil where technology transfer blooms and local industrial expertise in desalination and renewable energy flourishes. From this terrain will grow new educational pathways and technical specializations, training the standard-bearers of Morocco’s water and energy future.
The financial architecture of this mammoth endeavor will be orchestrated by the consortium, drawing capital from domestic and international financial wellsprings. The urgency is palpable; the project’s partners have pledged to assemble elite technical minds to ensure methodical implementation through 2030.
As with all ventures of this magnitude, regulatory gauntlets must be run, particularly regarding concentration operations. Each project component will be governed by bespoke development agreements between ONEE and the consortium. The first such accord, focusing on Tahaddart’s expansion, has already materialized.
The architects of the alliance
This historic partnership harmonizes complementary strengths. Nareva, Morocco’s private electricity champion, brings 3,200 megawatts of installed capacity producing over 15 terawatt-hours annually. As Africa’s wind energy pioneer, it operates eleven parks totaling 1,810 megawatts alongside the thermal goliath of Safi (1,386 megawatts).
With extensive expertise in electrical transmission infrastructure (exceeding 300 kilometers of high-voltage lines) and advanced water engineering, Nareva currently leads the innovative Amensouss project and is constructing the world’s first exclusively renewable-powered desalination facility in Dakhla.
TAQA Morocco, publicly traded on the Casablanca Stock Exchange since 2013, delivers 34% of Morocco’s national electricity requirements despite representing only 17% of installed capacity.
With a strategic focus on desalination, renewable energy development, low-carbon solutions, and infrastructure networks, the company actively advances national energy transition objectives and water security initiatives.
Its parent organization, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), operates as a diversified energy and utilities powerhouse with operations spanning 25 countries worldwide.
A diplomatic masterpiece
These accords signal the diplomatic renaissance between Morocco and the Emirates after a period of relative ambiguity. They physically manifest the vision sketched during King Mohammed VI’s December 2023 meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – a blueprint for collaboration in strategically vital domains.
This official visit established a “renewed partnership” between the Maghreb and Gulf country with announcements of strengthened collaboration in strategic domains including energy and infrastructure development.
The sovereign’s subsequent private voyage proved equally fertile, brokering peace between telecommunications titans Maroc Telecom and Inwi, ending a decade-long legal skirmish and birthing a joint venture to develop 5G infrastructure for international events including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.
For fifteen years, Morocco has methodically invested in renewable energy, which now covers 38% of its electricity needs, with aspirations to reach 52% by 2030. Simultaneously confronting chronic water scarcity, the kingdom has embraced desalination as salvation. This Emirati partnership accelerates both these vital transitions, binding two desert nations in a quest for resource security and sustainable prosperity.
