Uber is looking at launching its ride-hailing service in Dakhla in the Moroccan Sahara, as it rebuilds its presence in Morocco.
The US company has asked a Moroccan consultancy to study the market, according to Africa Intelligence. The same firm also helped Uber during its first attempt to enter Morocco in 2015.
Uber came back to Morocco at the end of 2025 after being away for seven years. It is now operating again in Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier. The company left in 2018 after facing legal barriers and pushback from taxi drivers during its first rollout.
Its return comes as Morocco becomes more open to ride-hailing apps, especially with big events coming up like the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit recently said transport reforms are being handled with a “two-track approach”. He said Morocco wants to take its own local context into account while also learning from international experience. The aim, he said, is better service for citizens and clearer rules for a fast-changing sector.
A possible move into Dakhla in the Moroccan Sahara also matches a wider US position that allows American companies to invest in the area, following policy changes under Donald Trump.
Morocco and the United States are also reviewing their free trade agreement from 2006. Officials say it is now outdated. When it was first signed, the agreement did not include the Moroccan Sahara.
There is also growing cooperation between Rabat and Washington in Morocco’s southern provinces, especially around critical minerals. The two countries recently signed a memorandum of understanding covering exploration and extraction projects, including offshore and seabed resources along the Atlantic coast.
US officials have also shown more interest in investment in southern Morocco during recent trade talks in Rabat. Both sides have discussed updating their trade agreement.
Dakhla itself is slowly turning into a key business hub. Work is underway on the Dakhla Atlantic Port, a major infrastructure project designed to turn the city into a gateway for trade between West Africa and the Americas. More business visitors, engineers and diplomats are also arriving, creating the kind of demand that companies like Uber usually look for when entering new cities.
