In a move that potentially opens a lucrative new industry for the Kingdom, Morocco has started producing drones for both military and civil purposes.
For the latter, officials say the aircraft could be used for scientific and agricultural research, monitoring climate and environmental changes, forests, coastlines, and urban development, as well as for monitoring land and sea borders, including illegal migration.
With an aim of making 1,000 drones a year in the medium-term, Moroccan industrial leaders feel they can leverage their experience manufacturing parts for commercial aircraft and using drones for economic and development purposes.
Diving into UAVs
In October, Moroccan-based Aerodrive Engineering Service said it had just developed the Atlas I-Star drone, a high-precision unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for intelligence-gathering and surveillance. This is the first drone manufactured in Morocco with local expertise, according to sources familiar with the details.
Three weeks later, at the Marrakesh Air Show at the end of October, British drone company Tekever said it was forming a partnership with Droneway, a Moroccan firm. This will lead to investment in industrial projects, test platforms, training, assembly, maintenance, and logistical support.
Tekever’s drones specialise in aerial surveillance, so its technology and expertise will likely assist Morocco’s military and intelligence apparatus. The company’s chief executive Ricardo Mendes said the partnership “will prove critical in establishing Morocco as the African leader in drone technologies.
Droneway’s chief executive Yassine Qammous, who described the company as “proudly Moroccan,” said: “We understand the unique challenges and opportunities of our region... Tekever’s cutting-edge technology is at the forefront of the drone market, offering unparalleled capabilities that are essential to driving forward a national drone programme and ensuring skills transfer with the aim of making Morocco an African hub for the drone industry.”
Theirs is not the only partnership in Morocco’s nascent drone industry. Ondas Optimus, a US company specialising in commercial drones, said it is working with Moroccan company Maghrebnet to establish a civil drone manufacturing facility. Eric Brock, head of Ondas, noted Morocco’s “industrial and technological capabilities” in its decision, adding that it “represents a promising market”.
The American company is betting on Morocco to expand its activities in the economic and industrial sectors, as Brock said the focus was on "aerial data collection for government, commercial, and strategic applications".
Ondas, which also has contracts in the UAE, notes that Morocco "has strengthened its position in North Africa as a leading country in the manufacture of different types of drones with different purposes through international partnerships".
