Casablanca is, according to the Global Financial Centres Index, Africa’s leading financial centre. Its success can be attributed in part to the establishment in 2010 of Casablanca Finance City (CFC), a business hub formed from a public-private partnership. The organisation’s mission is to make the city more attractive to foreign investors — and it is working: according to UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Casablanca attracted $8.4bn of foreign direct investment between 2003 and 2016.

Morocco is considered a gateway location between North Africa and Europe and is a low-cost base for export activity into Europe. Office parks in Casablanca targeted at the technology and offshoring sectors include Techno park and Casanearshore. Several large-scale real estate projects are under development, including Casablanca Marina and Casablanca Finance City. The retail sector is growing and Morocco Mall, which opened in 2011, is one of the biggest shopping malls in Africa.

Morocco’s tourism industry is a major driver of real estate activity, particularly in cities such as Tangier and Marrakech.