Created in July 2025, the Defense Industrial Zones Management Company (SGZID) is using the Marrakech Air Show 2026 as the platform for its first major public appearance.
The participation comes as the implementation of industrial acceleration zones dedicated to defense activities enters its operational phase. It reflects Morocco’s drive to develop a national defense industry in line with the Royal guidelines.
The legal framework established by Law No. 10-20 on defense and security equipment and materiel, weapons and ammunition has opened the strategic sector to both domestic and foreign industrial investment.
Within this framework, SGZID is one of the instruments supporting the strategy. Its zones are intended to host activities related to the production of defense equipment and components, as well as services dedicated to the sector. They are also expected to help secure certain strategic supply chains and build national technological expertise.
The objective is to strengthen Morocco’s strategic autonomy while making the defense industry a driver of growth, skilled job creation and export development.
An operator dedicated to defense industry infrastructure
Created through a partnership between the Military Housing and Equipment Agency (ALEM) and MEDZ, a subsidiary of CDG Group, SGZID is responsible for developing, planning, marketing and managing industrial acceleration zones dedicated to defense.
The zones offer companies an environment tailored to the sector’s specific requirements, including developed industrial land, enhanced security standards, integrated services and support at different stages of their establishment.
SGZID aims to facilitate investors’ installation, encourage industrial and technological partnerships and gradually support the development of expertise across Morocco’s defense ecosystem.
Investment momentum takes shape in Marrakech
Ahead of the show, SGZID held discussions with a diverse portfolio of Moroccan and international companies active in various defense-related sectors and technologies.
The momentum is expected to result in the signing of around a dozen memorandums of understanding on the sidelines of the 2026 edition. The projects are at different stages of development and represent a further step in the process of assessing their establishment in Morocco.
They cover several segments of the value chain, ranging from ammunition and weapons systems to drones and autonomous systems, as well as aerospace, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), defense electronics, communications, embedded systems, materials and components.
Led by Moroccan operators and international groups, the projects reflect an effort to attract highly technology-intensive activities to Morocco and develop long-term industrial partnerships. Depending on their stage of development, they remain subject to the applicable procedures, authorizations and approvals.
Creating industrial value in Morocco
Beyond attracting investment, SGZID is pursuing an approach focused on creating value in Morocco. This includes integrating the national industrial base, transferring technology, developing skills and gradually building a network of specialized suppliers and partners, particularly among Moroccan SMEs.
The Marrakech Air Show provides a key platform for bringing together industrial companies, investors and institutional stakeholders to discuss the opportunities offered by the new defense industrial zones.
“Our presence at the Marrakech Air Show reflects a clear commitment to providing defense companies with zones ready to accommodate them, within the demanding framework required by this sector. Each agreement signed here represents a step toward the emergence of a sovereign national defense industry open to trusted partnerships,” said Fayçal Bennouna, SGZID’s director general.
Through its first participation, SGZID is positioning itself as a key player in the development of defense industrial zones and as an interface between Morocco’s national industrial ambitions and leading industrial partners, in support of the Kingdom’s sovereignty.
