Morocco is emerging as a strategic destination for tech investments, thanks to its geographic position, growing digital infrastructure, and strong commitment to renewable energy. The country is increasingly attracting global digital players.

South Korean tech company  Naver announced on Friday, June 13, its plans to establish a next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Morocco. This initiative is a collaborative effort with Nvidia, Nexus Core Systems, and investor Lloyds Capital. The facility, powered by renewable energy, is designed to achieve a 500-megawatt (MW) capacity to address the increasing demand for sovereign AI services across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.

Chae Sun-joo, CEO of Naver’s strategic business unit, stated, "This collaboration will be an important turning point for Naver's cloud and AI technologies to expand beyond Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East to the European market."

The initial phase of construction is set to commence in the fourth quarter with the installation of a 40 MW supercomputer. This supercomputer will be equipped with Nvidia’s latest Blackwell (GB200) GPUs. The site is projected to expand to 500 MW, with its green power supply secured through an agreement with energy provider TAQA.

Naver's decision to select Morocco for this venture is based on several strategic advantages. These include its close proximity to Europe, merely 15 km across the Strait of Gibraltar, an extensive fiber-optic submarine cable network, and a competitive energy environment. Morocco aims to generate 52% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and is home to significant green energy projects, such as the Noor solar complex in Ouarzazate, which boasts an installed capacity of 580 MW.

This initiative aligns with Morocco’s broader ambition to establish itself as a prominent digital hub in North Africa. In recent years, the country has attracted substantial investment in data centers and cloud infrastructure, including a separate 386 MW mega data center project located in Tetouan.

Beyond its technological implications, the upcoming data center is anticipated to create skilled jobs, facilitate knowledge transfer, enhance the local digital ecosystem, and bolster national digital sovereignty. It could also draw further international investments in cloud computing, AI, and telecommunications, thereby solidifying Morocco’s position as a strategic nexus in Africa’s digital economy.

Samira Njoya