Published on · By the IT LABS PRO team
When people abroad think of Morocco, the first images are often stadiums, tourism or food. Yet another reality has been taking shape for several years: a country that trains thousands of developers, attracts technology centres and exports digital services. Moroccans are not only good at football. Here is why Morocco is becoming a real tech hub, and what that means for European and international companies.
A national strategy: “Morocco Digital 2030”
In September 2024, the Moroccan government presented its “Maroc Digital 2030” strategy. Its stated targets are ambitious: 240,000 direct jobs in the digital sector by 2030, a contribution of 100 billion dirhams to GDP, and 40 billion dirhams of digital exports, compared with 17.9 billion in 2023. For 2024–2026, 11 billion dirhams were allocated.
The strategy rests on clearly identified foundations: talent, cloud and connectivity. On skills, the target is to train 100,000 digital professionals a year by 2030, combining new graduates, people retraining from other sectors and foreign talent.
Talent trained differently: the example of 1337
Morocco has well-established engineering schools and universities. But one initiative illustrates the change of direction particularly well: the 1337 coding school. Opened in 2018 in Khouribga, it was born from an educational partnership between the OCP Group and 42, the school founded in Paris. Its training is entirely free, open without any diploma requirement, and based on peer-to-peer learning, 24 hours a day.
After Khouribga, 1337 opened campuses in Benguerir, within Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and in Tétouan. The model reveals profiles who would not have had access to traditional routes, and trains developers used to learning on their own, collaborating and solving concrete problems: exactly what tech companies look for.
Natural strengths for working with Europe
Languages
French is widely used in higher education and business, English is the working language of software development, and Arabic opens the markets of the Middle East and North Africa. This multilingualism is rare, and valuable for international projects.
Geographic and time-zone proximity
Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech are a few hours’ flight from Europe’s main capitals. And since 20 September 2026, Morocco’s legal time has been GMT all year round: the same time as London in winter, one hour behind Paris in winter and two in summer. Working days overlap almost entirely.
Cultural proximity
Historical and economic ties with Europe, especially France, Spain and Belgium, make it easier to understand expectations, working methods and business customs.
An ecosystem taking shape
Beyond schools, Morocco’s digital ecosystem has grown denser: technology parks in the main cities, service centres for international groups, start-ups in fintech, e-commerce and agritech, and a network of web agencies and IT services companies working for local and foreign clients. Business organisations such as the CGEM (the Moroccan employers’ confederation) also support the movement.
What it means for international companies
For an agency or company in Europe or North America, Morocco offers a serious alternative to distant destinations:
- teams that work in English and French, without intermediaries;
- compatible working hours for meetings, demos and urgent fixes;
- in-demand skills: web development, business applications, integrations, maintenance;
- controlled costs compared with hiring locally in Western Europe.
That is why more and more agencies entrust part of their development to Moroccan teams, often on a white-label basis. Our guide why outsource software development to Morocco explains how to go about it.
The challenges ahead
Nothing is guaranteed. The country must retain its talent in the face of attractive foreign markets, keep extending connectivity and training beyond the big cities, and make its expertise better known. For a company looking for a partner, this means choosing carefully: check references, test the collaboration on a first project, and make sure the team is stable.
IT LABS PRO, an example of this momentum
IT LABS PRO was founded in 2013 in Marrakech by computer engineer Mohamed Amine ETTABAA. Since then, the team has been designing websites, web applications and business software for Moroccan and international companies, and working as a development partner for agencies. Like many Moroccan tech companies, we see talented new developers entering the market every year.
Looking for a development team in Morocco? See our offshore software development in Morocco page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Morocco Digital 2030 strategy?
It is the national digital development strategy presented in September 2024. Its targets include 240,000 direct jobs in the sector by 2030 and training 100,000 digital professionals a year.
Is the 1337 school really free?
Yes. Training at 1337 is free and open without any diploma requirement; admission is through online tests followed by a selection phase.
What is the time difference between Morocco and Europe?
Since 20 September 2026, Morocco is on GMT all year round: the same time as London in winter, one hour behind Paris in winter and two hours in summer.
Sources
- Médias24, “Maroc Digital 2030 : 11 MMDH alloués entre 2024 et 2026”, 25 September 2024 (in French): medias24.com
- Le Desk, “Transition numérique : les détails de la stratégie Maroc Digital 2030”, 25 September 2024 (in French): ledesk.ma
- CGEM, “Lancement officiel de la stratégie nationale Maroc Digital 2030” (in French): cgem.ma
- OCP Group, “Codage, créativité, liberté” (1337 school, in French): ocpgroup.ma
- Médias24, “Heure légale : le décret actant le retour au GMT publié au Bulletin officiel”, 6 July 2026 (in French): medias24.com
This article is also available in French: les Marocains ne sont pas bons qu’au football.