Global Rail Giant Alstom to Reinforce its Moroccan Operations

Rabat – Alstom SA, a French company with global operations in rail and tram transport systems, intends to reinforce its presence in Morocco, growing its cabling factory in Fez. This is part of the company’s global strategic plan to consolidate existing operations.

At the launch of the company’s 2023 global strategy “Alstom in Motion” on 24 June, the CEO of Alstom SA announced that rather than expanding geographically, the company intends to build on its existing operations.

“We now will leverage innovation and efficiency in our portfolio of products and services to expand our presence in all our fields of activity,” said CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge in a press release.

Alstom SA has been present in Morocco for over 40 years, and involved in a number of major infrastructure projects including the first trams of Rabat and Casablanca, the first high-speed rail line, and maintenance of the locomotives of the Moroccan National Railways Office (ONCF).

In 2016, Alstom acquired Cabliance, a cabling company with a factory in Fes, in northern Morocco.

Under the “Alsom in Motion” strategy, Cabliance will double its production capacity by 2023, making it a leading local and international cabling supplier. The new factory site will cover 12000 square meters, generating 330 direct and 1000 indirect jobs by 2023.

“The site corresponds exactly to our vision of supporting Morocco’s rail development, and the country’s transition towards connected and sustainable mobility.” said Nourddine Rhalmi, the CEO of Alstom Maroc, Alstom SA’s Moroccan subsidiary.

“Our strategy aims to develop a panel of qualified suppliers […] and to support the suppliers that are already based in Morocco, in order to respond to the growing mobility needs of Moroccans,” he explained.

Cabliance was created in 2011 as a joint venture between Alstom and global cabling company Nexans to produce cable bundles for rail projects.