In ten years, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has become Morocco’s main lender with more than 3.1 billion euros.
The financing aims to finance 78 projects, representing more than 20% of the total financing provided by the EBRD in the southern and eastern part of the Mediterranean basin (SEMED region), where the European bank operates in 6 Arab countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.
The latest figures show that since the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development entered the region in 2012, the bank’s cumulative investments in Arab countries have now exceeded 15.2 billion euros. At the end of 2021, Morocco maintained the position of the EBRD’s second client in the SEMED region after Egypt, and topped the list of countries benefiting from the bank’s activity in the Arab region, totaling more than 8.2 billion euros for 138 projects.
Since the end of May 2017, come next Jordan (1.6 billion euros for 64 projects), Tunisia (1.4 billion euros for 56 projects), Lebanon (803 million euros for 10 projects) and Palestine (about 56 million euros for 15 projects).
Out of a total of 3.1 billion investments from Morocco, the bank’s active portfolio reached 1.5 billion at the end of 2021, of which 45% in the private sector. Sustainable infrastructure represents 58% of active investments, ahead of “Industrial, Commercial and Agrifood” and “Financial Institutions” (21% each).
It should be noted that through local banks, the EBRD notably supports companies and households, within the framework of several projects including the GEFF (Green Economy Financing Facility) or Women in Business.
2021 will have been the year of EBRD green financing in the domestic market. The European bank Morocco approves an envelope of 105 million euros this year in favor of Morocco, 85 million are intended to support green investments.
The majority of the funds granted (75 million euros) are part of the green economy financing facility, supported by the Green Climate Fund and the European Union.
They were approved as loans to partner Moroccan banks for on-lending to eligible clients to support Morocco’s ecological transformation.