Morocco has entered the world’s top 20 outsourcing destinations best prepared for the age of artificial intelligence. According to a statement released on July 21, 2026, by the Moroccan Federation of Outsourcing Services (FMES), the Kingdom ranks 19th in the inaugural Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index, an international study assessing how well leading outsourcing destinations are positioned to adapt to AI-driven transformation.
The ranking does more than place Morocco on an international list. It also reflects how the competitive landscape for outsourcing is changing when artificial intelligence is factored into the assessment. Previously ranked 28th in Kearney’s Global Services Location Index, Morocco now joins the world’s top 20 destinations when AI integration capabilities become a key measure of competitiveness.
The comparison, however, should be interpreted with caution. FMES noted that the two rankings are based on different methodologies. As such, Morocco’s position in the Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index should not be viewed as a direct improvement from one edition of the same ranking to another. Rather, it highlights a different way of evaluating competitiveness, with Morocco performing better when technological readiness carries greater weight.
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This distinction is one of the report’s main economic takeaways. Traditional advantages such as labor costs and location are no longer sufficient on their own to determine a country’s place in the outsourcing value chain. According to FMES, the ability to adopt artificial intelligence, integrate it into production processes and combine it with human expertise has become a key competitive advantage.
“When the ability to integrate artificial intelligence becomes a decisive factor in competitiveness, Morocco ranks among the world’s top 20 outsourcing destinations,” the federation said in its statement. FMES attributed the result to the country’s skilled workforce, established expertise in outsourced services, strong infrastructure and an ecosystem actively embracing AI.
AI as a driver of higher-value services
The ranking comes at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of outsourced services. FMES argues that AI should be seen as complementing, rather than replacing, human talent. The objective, according to the federation, is not to automate jobs indiscriminately but to use AI to increase the value generated by the sector’s workforce.
Youssef Chraibi, president of FMES, said Morocco embraced AI “very early on, not to replace people, but to enhance their value.” In his view, the country’s position depends less on simply adopting AI tools than on using them to improve the quality and sophistication of outsourced services.
The distinction is significant. AI used solely for automation could reduce the value of certain services. By contrast, integrating AI as a tool that enhances human capabilities can help move the industry toward more complex, higher-value activities. FMES presents Morocco’s 19th-place ranking as recognition of a strategy built on combining talent, sector expertise, infrastructure and technology.
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“We did not undergo the AI revolution. We chose to embrace it,” Chraibi said. The statement reflects the federation’s view that technological disruption should strengthen, rather than erode, Morocco’s competitiveness.
FMES also stressed that the ranking measures preparedness rather than guaranteeing future economic gains. The federation believes the recognition must now be translated into growth, investment and skilled jobs. Turning a strong ranking into tangible economic results will therefore depend on sustaining current efforts and converting them into concrete activity across the outsourcing sector.
To achieve that goal, the federation pointed to the need for coordination between public institutions, particularly the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, as well as private companies and academic institutions. Such cooperation, it said, would help align workforce development, business needs and the adoption of AI technologies across Morocco’s outsourcing ecosystem.
Representing the country’s leading outsourcing companies, FMES said it views artificial intelligence as a tool for moving the sector up the value chain and creating greater value in both domestic and international markets.
The ranking opens new opportunities but also sets a higher benchmark. Morocco’s 19th-place position suggests the country has significant strengths at a time when AI is becoming a major driver of global competitiveness. Maintaining that advantage will depend on the sector’s ability to translate technological readiness into higher-value services, increased investment and more skilled employment.
