2025 Finance Bill: Billions from the World Cup
The Government wants to accelerate the development of sport, in particular mass sport and competitive sport, better known by the generic term high-level sport. In fact, the 2025 Finance Bill lists the main projects and measures planned as part of the action plan. For grassroots sport, the plan is to continue upgrading football stadiums in preparation for Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 African Football Cup and the 2030 Football World Cup.
This involves the comprehensive rehabilitation of stadiums in Marrakech, Agadir, Fez, Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangiers. The aim is to improve the quality of these sports facilities, in addition to the construction of a new stadium in Benslimane with a capacity of 115,000. The overall cost of bringing the 6 stadiums up to CAF and FIFA standards, and of building the future stadium of the Greater Casablanca, amounts to MAD 20 billion (USD 2 billion).
For the Tangiers stadium, the work mainly involves removing the athletics track, installing a roof over the stadium and building two underground car parks around the stadium. In addition, there are two training pitches, which must be located less than 20 minutes from the stadium where the competitions are played, in accordance with FIFA standards. The project also involves the Rabat sports complex. This involves the construction of a fully covered football stadium with a capacity of 68,403 seats, spread over 6 levels, with two hospitality levels. The stadiums in Fez, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir will be refurbished both inside and out, and the stands, changing rooms, and toilets will be refurbished. Technical equipment will also be upgraded, including lighting, electrical facilities, and access control.
In any case, the Finance Bill provides for a program to upgrade football sports infrastructure to the tune of 300 million dirhams (USD 30 million) and the creation of local football pitches in the prefectures and provinces of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region to the tune of 70 million dirhams (USD 7 million). The same goes for the creation of 80 local basketball, volleyball, skating, and petanque pitches in the same region at a cost of 48 million dirhams (USD 5 million). Added to this is the creation and redevelopment of local pitches in the Casablanca-Settat region with 128.8 million dirhams (USD 13 million). Also on the agenda is the development of sports facilities in Souss-Massa and Guelmim, as well as the installation of sports infrastructure, in accordance with the provisions of the Skhirat-Témara development agreement.
Mohamed CHAOUI
