Morocco and Spain: Strengthening ties amid media scrutiny

Morocco and Spain emphasize bilateral relations despite intense media campaign against Rabat

Spanish companies in Morocco have invested €2 billion, highlighting the economic significance of the relationship between the two nations.

Rabat — Officials from Spain and Morocco continue to underscore the importance of their bilateral ties, even as a fierce media campaign in Spain targets Morocco.

Morocco’s ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, highlighted the crucial partnerships between the two countries, describing their ties as “fruitful” and “founded on mutual respect and an ambitious roadmap.”

The top diplomat made these remarks at a conference, emphasizing that cooperation spans all sectors, including trade.

She noted Morocco’s position as Spain’s third-largest trading partner outside the EU, after the US and the UK. Nearly 1,000 Spanish companies operate in Morocco, among the 20,000 that cooperate with the country.

These companies generate €2 billion in investments and create 20,000 jobs, Benyaich said. She also mentioned that Moroccan companies are increasing their investments in Spain, reflecting economic dynamism and deepening bilateral ties.

In addition to economic cooperation, Spain and Morocco enjoy frequent weekly flights, estimated at 260, and 60 daily maritime connections.

In 2024, Morocco received three million Spanish visitors, a 16% increase from 2023, confirming Spain as Morocco's second-largest tourist market.

Benyaich also touched upon education cooperation, with nearly 12,000 Moroccan students studying in Spain, representing 10% of foreign students in the European country. Morocco is home to the largest network of Cervantes Institutes.

She highlighted the strengthened ties through the historic joint project for the 2030 World Cup, which Spain and Morocco will host along with Portugal.

“This unprecedented initiative connects Europe and Africa, as well as the North and South of the Mediterranean, and reflects the mutual trust and harmony between the governments of the three countries,” she said.

However, ties between the two countries have been marred by sharp criticism and a hostile Spanish media campaign, particularly amid ongoing negotiations on the complete reopening of customs borders between the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta and Morocco.

Several Spanish outlets have accused Morocco of “blocking” customs operations, but such allegations are not surprising given the Spanish media’s approach against Morocco.

Many Spanish officials have attempted to calm media frustration, including Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

“Both countries thought that January 8 could be the day for the first official step, as tests showed positive results,” he told the press recently.

Three pilot tests were conducted in 2023, but there is “still work to be done by both customs authorities to definitively resolve any technical problems that may exist,” he added.

King Felipe VI of Spain has also reiterated the importance of boosting ties with Morocco, expressing his country's commitment to continuing to advance the Madrid-Rabat bilateral agenda.

He said Morocco is a country “with which we must pursue our collaboration in the spirit of friendship and cooperation governing our special neighborly relations.”