On Monday, January 12, 2026, Morocco launched a historic phase in its journey towards technological modernization with the ambitious national artificial intelligence project, "AI Made in Morocco." This strategic plan, announced in Rabat, aims to establish comprehensive technological sovereignty, positioning the Kingdom at the heart of global digital competitiveness and making it an indispensable regional player in shaping the future of the economy.
This ambitious project relies on establishing a national network of centers of excellence, named "Jazari Institutes," after the renowned scholar Badi' al-Zaman al-Jazari. According to the Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Amal Fallah Seghrouchni, these institutes will form the backbone of Morocco's innovation ecosystem, training talent and developing national algorithms capable of keeping pace with rapid technological advancements.
In analyzing the project's implications, Omar Hilale, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, affirmed that the launch of the Jazari Institutes represents a "strategic turning point" that transcends the purely technical dimension and extends to the realm of national sovereignty. Hilal explained that through this proactive investment, Morocco aims to bridge the "artificial intelligence gap" that threatens to widen disparities between nations. He emphasized that Moroccan AI will be a catalyst for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing the Kingdom's soft power.
To bolster its chances of success, Morocco has entered into a technological partnership with the European AI giant, the French company Mistral AI. This partnership will focus on localizing advanced solutions in the fields of natural language processing, programming, and industrial automation. The "Jaziri" institutes are planned to cover all twelve regions of the Kingdom, including the southern provinces, relying on Morocco's "new oil"—solar energy—to power large data centers and train a new generation of engineers.
On the investment front, the Kingdom is banking on transforming this project into a magnet for startups and major technology investments, benefiting from its political stability and advanced continental connectivity. In the same context, this launch culminated in an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aimed at making Morocco a regional center for "South-South" technical cooperation, thus consolidating Rabat's role as a technological engine for the African continent and the Arab world, and transforming artificial intelligence from a mere technical tool into a real engine for growth and national sovereignty.
