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Morocco is set to receive its first shipment of more than 6,457 steel rails from China for the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway project.
The high-speed rails, totaling 13,000 tonnes, left Bayuquan Port in Liaoning Province on 15 November, marking the completion of the first batch delivery by China Railway Material Group Hong Kong Macau Co, according to Moroccan media.
The shipment represents a key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project between the two countries.
Last week, Morocco approved the expropriation of land for the 430-kilometre Marrakech-Kenitra high-speed rail line, a key infrastructure project launched by King Mohammed VI in April at Rabat-Agdal station.
The 53 billion Moroccan dirhams ($5.3 billion) project spans 430 kilometres and is slated for completion before the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
(Writing by N Saeed; Editing by Sona Nambiar)
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The Marrakech-Kenitra line represents the second phase of the country's high-speed rail programme, following the Tangier-Casablanca route inaugurated in 2018.
In April, the Chinese consortium of China Railway Material Group Hong Kong Macau Co, alongside Angang Steel Company Limited, won the tender to supply new rails worth over $51 million after presenting the lowest bid to the National Railway Office.
