This Extractivism Policy Brief 05/2026 shows:
- Morocco increasingly presents itself as a platform allowing Chinese companies to circumvent Western trade barriers, taking advantage of its natural endowment and its network of privileged agreements.
- Supported by European development finance, Morocco has positioned itself as a leading country in green energy development and as a strategic sourcing country not only for phosphates but also for other ‘critical minerals’ such as cobalt. This pragmatic balancing strategy currently allows it to reap benefits in terms of investments, technological upgrading and diplomatic capital, notably in terms of international recognition for its position in the Western Sahara dispute.
- However, the longer-term viability of this strategy remains uncertain due to the ongoing fragmentation of global green energy value chains and the absence of a more inclusive and sustainable industrial innovation strategy that could benefit larger shares of Moroccan society.
The Authors:
Prof. Dr. Mustapha Majidi is Professor of Public Law and Political Science at Hassan I University in Settat, Morocco. He holds a doctorate with a dissertation on “Energy Governance and Sustainable Development in Morocco”. His research focuses on energy transition, water policy, climate change, and extractivism. He also coordinates the “Political and International Studies” program at the Faculty of Law and Political Science.
Prof. Dr. Rachid Ouaissa is chair of Middle Eastern Politics at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS) at Philipps-University Marburg. His research and teaching focus is on North-South relations, the rise of fundamentalist movements, EU-Mediterranean policy, rentier economies and systems of rule in the Middle East and North Africa. He has many years of experience with collaborative projects and international cooperation.
Dr. Bertram Lang is a senior policy advisor with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF). He holds a PhD in Political Science from Goethe University Frankfurt and an M.A. (Hons) in EU International Relations from the College of Europe (Bruges), and in Political Science from the University of Freiburg and Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence. His research relies on mixed-method approaches to study the transnational politics of Global China, in fields including the non-profit sector, (anti-)corruption and governance, and development policy.
Link to PDF: Download Extractivism Policy Brief 05/2026 (ENGLISH)
