Morocco, Emerging Power in Global AI Governance - Special 2025
Special issue on Morocco's AI strategy: UN leadership, Digital X.0 framework law, Morocco Digital 2030 strategy, regional hub role, and sovereign infrastructures.
Morocco & AI Special
Overview: Morocco & AI 2025
In this special issue
Morocco is emerging as a key player in global artificial intelligence governance. This position is the result of three converging dynamics: active diplomacy within the United Nations, a structured national strategy (Digital X.0 and Morocco Digital 2030), and an assumed role as a regional African hub for digital innovation.
Proactive diplomacy at the UN, the Digital X.0 framework law, the Morocco Digital 2030 strategy, and a regional African hub role: Morocco is methodically building an ethical and development‑oriented digital sovereignty.
Key Figure: Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni
At the heart of this strategy stands Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Delegate Minister in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, professor of AI at UM6P and former director of the AI Movement. Her appointment signals a strong choice: placing a world-class scientist in charge of a strategic policy portfolio.
She embodies the link between cutting‑edge research, applied innovation, and public decision‑making. Under her supervision, Morocco is not merely adopting imported solutions: it is building an ethical digital sovereignty, designed for the long term and for Africa.
This choice—entrusting digital transition to a scientific expert—sets the Moroccan model apart from many countries where political decision‑making remains weakly connected to the technical stakes of AI.
International Diplomacy
Co-sponsor of the first UN resolution on AI, co-chair of a Group of Friends on AI for Sustainable Development, credible voice of the Global South in multilateral fora.
Digital Sovereignty
Digital X.0 framework law, sovereign digital identity, data governance and interoperability as pillars of responsible AI and controlled technological independence.
African Hub
South–South partnerships (Gabon, UNDP, etc.), D4SD hub, Dakhla data center and Jazari Institute: Morocco positions itself as both a technical and normative platform for Africa.
A Leading Role in Global AI Governance
A Unique Leadership within the United Nations
Guided by the Royal Vision, Morocco pursues a forward‑looking diplomacy on AI. Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative to the UN, defends a clear stance: equitable access to AI tools, skills, and infrastructure is not a technical detail but a matter of justice and solidarity.
"Equitable access to AI tools, skills, and infrastructure is not a mere question of technical assistance but a fundamental requirement of justice, shared innovation, and solidarity."
— Ambassador Omar Hilale, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UNThis position resonates in a world where the technological gap between rich and emerging countries is widening. Morocco argues that AI must be treated as a global public good, not as a new instrument of economic domination. It insists that the Global South brings unique assets (youth, diverse data, specific needs) that must be factored into global AI governance.
Diplomatic Leadership
Morocco acts as a bridge between geopolitical blocs, enjoying special credibility as a technologically non‑aligned country able to talk with the West, China, and the rest of Africa.
- • Co‑sponsorship with the United States of the first UN resolution on AI
- • Co‑chair of a Group of Friends on AI for the SDGs
- • Only Arab and African country invited to co‑sponsor the initiative, recognized as a legitimate voice for Africa
Sources: maroc.ma, L'Économiste
Advocating for Ethical and Responsible AI
A Pragmatic Approach to Security
During a high‑level UN Security Council debate in July 2024, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita presented AI as a double‑edged technology. For the first time, the Council addressed AI as a potential threat to international peace and security.
Morocco warned of the uncontrolled proliferation of AI systems that could strengthen the capabilities of malicious actors: autonomous weapons, massive cyberattacks, and large‑scale information manipulation. The message is clear: without binding norms, AI could become a major destabilizing factor.
Identified Threats
- • Sophisticated cyberattacks on critical infrastructure (energy, finance, water)
- • Widespread deepfakes and disinformation, undermining social stability
- • Use by terrorist groups for planning attacks and recruiting online
- • An arms race in autonomous weapons without ethical safeguards
Solutions Inspired by International Law
Morocco proposes drawing on UNSC Resolution 1540 on non‑proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The analogy is strong: some AI uses could eventually pose comparable levels of risk.
Among the avenues put forward are inspection mechanisms, sanction regimes, enhanced intelligence cooperation, and transparency obligations for states developing military AI systems. Morocco thus provides not only a diagnosis but an operational agenda.
Positive Uses Highlighted
- • Early‑warning systems (conflicts, famines, migration crises)
- • Combating disinformation via verification algorithms
- • Protecting peacekeeping operations (drones, predictive analysis)
- • Optimizing humanitarian aid and climate resilience
A National Strategy for Sovereign and Ethical AI
The "Digital X.0" Framework Law: Cornerstone of Governance
The "Digital X.0" framework bill is the central piece of Morocco's AI governance, as highlighted by the CADE Project. Rather than merely transposing the GDPR or the EU AI Act, it is designed as a flexible, evolutionary framework, adapted to a country seeking to become a regional hub.
Under Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni's leadership, Digital X.0 combines citizen protection with innovation stimulus. It defines clear responsibilities for developers, administrations, companies, and platforms, provides for ex‑ante assessment of critical systems, and introduces AI‑assisted compliance audits.
Public–Private Integration
Digital X.0 governs public‑service digitization and supports public–private partnerships, including public registries of algorithms used in administration.
Data Governance
Sovereign digital identity, traceable consent, and recognition of data as regulated commons, with portability and possible remuneration.
Algorithmic Accountability
Obligations to demonstrate non‑discrimination and encouragement of diverse development teams in order to limit cultural bias.
Data Circular Economy
Creation of sectoral data spaces (health, agriculture, energy) enabling secure data sharing and maximizing societal value.
Three Strategic Pillars
- Data Governance: legal framework for secure sharing and responsible value creation.
- Digital Identity: sovereign, interoperable system at the heart of citizen–state relations.
- Interoperability: open standards to avoid capture by a few technology giants.
Expected Impact (Projections)
- • +2% GDP growth linked to digitization
- • −30% administrative corruption through traceability
- • +50% transparency in public services
"Morocco Digital 2030": A Structuring Vision
Macro-Economic Targets
Adopted in 2023, the Morocco Digital 2030 strategy aims to make the country a regional hub for AI and digital innovation, as highlighted by The New Africa Magazine. Beyond infrastructure, it promotes a deep societal transformation.
Under the co‑leadership of Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, the strategy plans to train 200,000 young people in AI skills (beyond mere coding), digitize 100% of public services, and create over 300,000 digital jobs by 2030.
Ecosystems and Partnerships
Partnership with Mistral AI
A multilingual language‑model lab (Arabic, Amazigh, African languages) is being co‑developed in Benguerir with Mistral AI, to produce models grounded in local legal and cultural contexts (Islamic law, African customary law, traditional medicine).
This is a strong act of linguistic and cultural decolonization: instead of importing biased English‑centric models, Morocco is building AI systems that reflect its realities and those of the continent.
Excellence Programmes
- • JobInTech: free training for 50,000 young people per year, with a 70% placement target within six months.
- • Early AI exposure: AI workshops from primary school using Moroccan‑designed open‑source robotics kits.
- • GITEX Africa: flagship tech fair in Marrakech (1,000 startups, 30,000 visitors), positioned as Africa's CES.
- • Green AI: requirement to use data centers powered by renewable energy.
A Regional Hub for Africa
South–South Cooperation and Partnerships
Partnership with Gabon
Gabon describes Morocco as a "continental model" of digital transformation. The 2024 partnership foresees training 500 Gabonese engineers in Moroccan universities and setting up a tech hub in Libreville based on the Casablanca model.
Morocco's approach is based on co‑construction rather than aid: skills transfer, shared platforms, and joint project governance.
Concrete Programmes
- • AI and data‑science training with the African Virtual University (Rabat).
- • Distance‑learning platforms translated into local languages (Lingala, Swahili).
- • Algorithms for sustainable, traceable forestry management.
- • Support for building a Libreville tech hub.
D4SD Hub (Digital for Sustainable Development)
Launched in 2024 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, this hub is a UNDP–Morocco public–private partnership funded to the tune of $38M, 60% of which is provided by Morocco.
AI diagnostics in 100 rural hospitals
Intelligent tutoring for 1M students
Drought forecasting and water management
Source: UNDP
Infrastructure and Cybersecurity
Dakhla Data Center
Dakhla will host a green mega data center powered 100% by renewable energy (constant sunshine and wind). The goal is to become a major storage and compute node for Africa.
With a targeted capacity of 50 MW and a PUE of 1.1, the center will be connected to Europe and West Africa via submarine cables and optimized for AI workloads (model training and inference).
Cybersecurity: A Critical Challenge
According to SAMENA Council, Morocco faced over 12.6 million attempted cyberattacks in 2024, a 40% increase over 2023. Banks, telecom operators, and public cloud services are particularly targeted.
In response, a National Cybersecurity Operations Center (C‑NOC) now operates 24/7, and a 2025–2030 roadmap seeks to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructures.
Jazari Institute
The Jazari Institute (named after Al‑Jazari, a pioneer of robotics) brings together universities, companies, and public actors to accelerate AI R&D. It functions as a "super‑connector" between industrial needs, academic research, and entrepreneurship.
Projects include automatic detection of tax fraud, optimization models for oasis irrigation, and intelligent automation of local tax collection. The institute aims for 50% women in its workforce by 2027.
Connectivity and Inclusion
Connectivity remains a key concern: 5G coverage is still concentrated in major cities, bandwidth remains expensive, and an urban–rural digital divide persists. The strategy includes $1B of investment in rural infrastructure and micro data centers.
2025–2030 Roadmap
- • 2025: adoption of the Digital X.0 law
- • 2026: commissioning of the Dakhla data center
- • 2027: 50% of public services AI‑assisted
- • 2030: UN recognition of Morocco as a technological hub for Africa
Conclusion: A Distinctive Model for Africa
Strengths of the Moroccan Model
Morocco does not merely "adopt" AI; it seeks to shape the rules of the game so that AI serves sustainable human development. Three pillars are inseparable:
- Political will: a clear, long‑term Royal Vision that treats AI as a strategic issue.
- Scientific expertise: appointments such as Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni ensure the technical credibility of policies.
- Proactive diplomacy: a bridge position between North and South, Europe, the Arab world, and Africa.
Risks and Conditions for Success
To succeed, this model must maintain strategic independence from major technology powers (US, China, EU) while multiplying partnerships. Key challenges include:
- • Avoiding dependence on a single technological ecosystem.
- • Narrowing internal digital and territorial divides.
- • Creating large numbers of high‑quality jobs for young people.
- • Preserving linguistic and cultural diversity in AI models.
This issue draws on official statements, UN reports, and specialized analyses to provide a strategic synthesis of Morocco's position in global AI governance.