Morocco plans to construct a 500-megawatt data center powered entirely by renewable energy, aiming to bolster data security and strengthen the national cloud infrastructure, according to Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni.
The facility will be located in Dakhla, in the Western Sahara region. While specific details regarding the project’s timeline and budget remain undisclosed, the initiative aligns with a broader global trend- nations are increasingly developing domestic data centers to ensure that sensitive information is stored and processed within national borders.
These data centers may be owned or operated by either state-owned enterprises or private companies, while ensuring that all data remains subject to the host country’s legal jurisdiction.
Morocco’s first facility of this kind was launched at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. Since January, it has been providing cloud hosting services to both public and private organizations within the country.
According to Seghrouchni, the network of data centers reflects Morocco’s commitment towards its digital sovereignty while positioning itself as a regional digital hub for Africa.
As part of its broader digital modernization strategy for 2024–2026, Morocco plans to invest 11 billion dirhams ($1.22 billion), with a focus on artificial intelligence and expanding fibre optic infrastructure.
