Morocco has it all: untapped mineral potential, a sound investment environment and first-class infrastructure

IMC 2026 returns for its third edition, hosted for the first time in the Kingdom’s capital

IMC 2026, the third edition of the Morocco International Mining Congress & Exhibition, will take place from 6 to 8 October 2026 for the first time in Rabat, the capital and administrative centre of the Kingdom of Morocco. Convening under the theme “Towards a New Industrial Era – Africa as an Integrated Hub for Strategic Minerals Transformation,” IMC 2026 will once again be organised by the Federation of Mineral Industry of Morocco (FDIM) and AME Trade Ltd, with support at the highest levels from the Ministry of Energy Transition & Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and AMDIE.

Morocco has risen to 15th place globally in the latest Investment Attractiveness Index for the mining sector, according to the Fraser Institute’s 2025 Annual Survey of Mining Companies. The North African kingdom’s ascent marks a significant milestone in its strategy to diversify its economy and position itself as a critical hub for global mineral supply chains.

Morocco has a range of assets — not only in resources and reserves, but also in regulation, institutions and sustainability — enabling it to produce electro-molecules, minerals, metals, and competitive low-carbon and zero-carbon products. The Kingdom also enjoys an exceptional geographical position between Africa, Europe, the Atlantic Basin and the rest of the world, serving as a meeting point for the major geopolitical blocs that today influence key technological, environmental and societal choices. Reflecting Morocco’s ambition to position itself as a regional mining powerhouse, the Government has released a public tender for the exploration of precious and strategic minerals across the Kingdom’s eastern provinces, covering approximately 13,000 square kilometres in the Tafilalet and Figuig mining basin.

A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR AFRICAN MINING

IMC 2025 was a historic event for the future of the African mining sector, where the Marrakech Declaration was adopted. The declaration commits the sector to robust environmental safeguards, social responsibility and improved governance standards — principles designed to attract global capital increasingly focused on ESG compliant “green mining.”

“This declaration is not Moroccan. It is African. And I know that each of us will remember this moment in Marrakech, wherever we may find ourselves in one year, in five years, or in ten. It belongs to every African nation and marks Africa’s entry into a new era — one in which we define our own rules and determine the value of our own resources.” — Hon. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Morocco, speaking at the Opening Ceremony.

IMC 2026 will build on the success of the 2025 edition, which featured over 650 delegates from more than 40 countries, including high-level delegations from Africa’s major mining-producing nations. More than 100 exhibitors joined the IMC Trade Exhibition, spanning the full spectrum of the mining supply chain. Lead sponsors of the event included mining powerhouses such as OCP, Managem, Aya Gold & Silver, CMT and Morocco Strategic Minerals.

A DIVERSE MINERAL OFFERING

Morocco maintains regular production of varied mineral substances, including phosphates, lead, zinc, copper,gold, silver, cobalt, manganese, fluorine and barite. The Kingdom holds around three quarters of the planet’s known phosphate reserves and is the world’s top exporter of crude phosphates. Ambitious plans to double 2020 revenue from non-phosphate mining to more than US$1.7 billion by 2030 are coming to fruition, coupled with a green strategy for responsible and sustainable mining aligned with the European Union.

Morocco also has a long-term vision to supply emerging gigafactories in Kenitra and Tangier with domestically sourced critical minerals, integrating mining with downstream battery and clean-energy manufacturing and thereby strengthening the Kingdom’s leverage in global supply chains. As the world’s ninth largest cobalt producer, with output of around 2,000 tonnes a year, Morocco aims to harness its cobalt reserves as part of the supply chain for rechargeable batteries. The country has also launched a national digital mining registry, a reform aimed at streamlining licensing procedures and reducing bureaucratic obstacles — making the sector more attractive to major international investors wary of regulatory risk.

MOROCCO AT A GLANCE

Global ranking 15th worldwide in the Fraser Institute 2025 Investment Attractiveness Index for mining

New exploration Public tender covering ~13,000 km² across the Tafilalet and Figuig mining basin

Phosphate reserves Around three quarters of the planet’s known reserves; world’s top exporter of crude phosphates

Cobalt production ~2,000 tonnes per year – the world’s ninth largest producer

2030 ambition Doubling 2020 non-phosphate mining revenue to more than US$1.7 billion