Nador West Med to open in late 2026, but its motorway to Guercif will not be completed until 2029
The Nador West Med port is due to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2026. But the 104-kilometre motorway intended to connect it directly to the national network will not be fully completed until 2029, more than two years after the port complex opens.
The port’s schedule was confirmed in January. According to Reuters, citing the Royal Palace, Nador West Med will begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2026. The complex is due to open with an annual capacity of five million containers, expandable to twelve million.
On Bladi.net : Ambitious 104km Highway Project Accelerates Eastern Morocco’s Economic Transformation
The port notably has 5.4 kilometres of breakwaters, four kilometres of quays and 700 hectares dedicated to industrial and logistics activities. In January, these areas had already attracted 20 billion dirhams in private investment.
On land, the schedule is considerably longer. The Guercif-Nador motorway is to connect the new port to the Fès-Oujda motorway route via Saka and Driouch. The project covers approximately 104 kilometres and represents an investment of 7.9 billion dirhams.
The schedule has shifted from 2028 to 2029
In February 2025, the Kingdom’s official portal was still announcing that the works would be completed in 2028. At that time, only the third section, linking Driouch directly to the port, was actually under way and had reached 35% completion.
The schedule has since been pushed back. During a presentation held in August, the governor of Driouch province, Abdessalam Frindou, said that completion of the entire route was now expected in June 2029.
This deadline remains consistent with the one set when the project received international financing. The Islamic Development Bank, which granted Morocco 187.84 million euros, anticipates the construction of the 104 kilometres of motorway by 2029. It also mentions 17 bridges and 53 overpasses planned along the route.
The delay does not mean that Nador West Med will remain without suitable road access until 2029. Work began on the Driouch-port section, approximately 27 kilometres long, while the other sections are to progressively ensure the full connection with Guercif.
On Bladi.net : China CRBC wins Morocco highway contract Nador West Med
But the schedule is now clear: Nador West Med will begin operating in late 2026, while its full motorway connection to the national network will not be completed until 2029.
