Oracle has opened a new research and development centre in Agadir, giving the US technology company its second R&D hub in Morocco. The new site comes just weeks after Oracle launched its first R&D centre in Casablanca. The company said the expansion will help it grow cloud and artificial intelligence technologies while creating more opportunities for Moroccan engineers and developers.
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch attended Monday’s opening ceremony alongside Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Investment Minister Karim Zidane and Oracle Executive Vice President Simon de Montfort Walker.
Akhannouch said Oracle’s decision to expand in Morocco reflected the country’s growing reputation as “a competitive and trusted destination for research, development and advanced technologies.”
He added: “Morocco has strong academic institutions, highly qualified talent and a national digital ambition driven at the highest level of the state.”
The Agadir centre will work on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), AI-powered applications, data platforms and industry-specific software. It will also create jobs and opportunities for Moroccan engineers, developers and researchers.
Walker said the expansion showed Oracle’s confidence in “Morocco’s talent, digital ambitions and innovation ecosystem.”
Oracle said the Agadir centre would work alongside its Casablanca site, creating a network across different cities and helping Morocco strengthen its role as a technology hub for Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
The company now has a public cloud region in Casablanca, plans a second one in Settat, and operates R&D centres in Casablanca and Agadir.
Oracle plans to increase its workforce in Morocco to nearly 1,000 highly skilled professionals by 2027. Its Casablanca R&D centre already employs more than 300 engineers and developers.
The company has also pledged to train more than 20,000 Moroccan students in digital skills. Morocco’s universities produce around 10,000 engineers and IT specialists every year.
Morocco’s digital sector supports more than 148,500 jobs. The country also has an internet penetration rate of more than 92%, with about 35.3 million users, and is connected to more than a dozen submarine fibre-optic cables, including 2Africa.
Oracle’s expansion comes as several other global technology companies also invest in Morocco. South Korea’s Naver has announced plans for an AI data centre, while Nokia has opened an innovation centre in Salé. Cisco, IBM and Huawei have also expanded their training programmes in the country.
