On July 30th 2002, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, delivered a historical speech where he announced his decision to build « a major structuring project consisting of a commercial and industrial port on the banks of the Straits, East of Tangier » in line with the « strategic decision to transform the region into an investment hub » with a « regionally integrated development » approach.

Tanger Med is the result of this vision supported by transnational considerations that are of strategic importance for Morocco to ensure:

» competitiveness

» new basis for territory planning

» local development

Tanger Med will meet its objectives by providing the Moroccan industry with a competitive edge through better logistics and fostering - through its integrated aspect - higher competitiveness in the Northern Provinces of Morocco.

The Tangier-Tétouan Region will therefore be positioned as a major development center that

will decrease the development gap between the South and North banks of the Straits of Gibraltar.

In September 2002, the Special Development Zone and the Tanger Mediterranean Special Agency were established by means of an executive enactment, following which the first funding agreement with the Abu Dhabi Fund has been concluded. Since then, the project entered into its implementation phase.

The Tanger Med Special Agency (TMSA) is a business corporation run by a Managing Board and a Board of Trustees endowed with public power prerogatives. Set up on September 10th, 2002, TMSA manages on behalf of the Moroccan State the Tanger Med Project, whose objective is to develop a surface area of 550 square km located in the

northernmost extreme of Morocco, called the Special Development Zone. This zone attracted a total estimated investment of 3.5 billon Euros, comprising the

construction of :

» the Tanger Med Port, located at 40 km East of Tanger, on the Oued R’mel site

» road and rail connection infrastructures

» Industrial, logistical and service activity zones