Since Hassan II’s reign, Morocco has implemented a national policy for the management of water resources, with the construction of dams as its cornerstone. Today, this strategy is a necessary response to a drought that has become structural.

In this context, the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation (PNAEPI, Programme national pour l’approvisionnement en eau potable et l’irrigation) 2020-2027, with a budget of 115.4 billion dirhams, aims to accelerate investments in the water sector, notably through the construction of new large dams to achieve a national storage capacity of 27.3 billion cubic meters.

The construction of some twenty large dams, spread across different regions of the kingdom, has thus been launched, benefiting from this substantial budget and a royal impetus justified by the climate emergency.

One thing is clear: five companies are building 18 large dams simultaneously

« In a very short time, we had to launch the technical studies, prepare the call to tender and monitor the construction sites so that they could be delivered on time. These deadlines, often reduced to a minimum, represent a major challenge for the teams in charge of building these dams« , confides a source close to the matter to TelQuel.

To date, several of the dams planned as part of this project are already in partial operation. These mega-buildings have benefited a handful of construction companies, whose order books and coffers have filled up. One thing is clear: five companies are building 18 large dams simultaneously.

A juicy 20 MMDH market

Of these projects, 7 are entrusted to Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM), founded in 1971 in Casablanca by brothers Ahmed and M’Hamed Kabbaj. Among the main contracts awarded to this family firm are the M’dez dam in Sefrou, the Sidi Abbou dam in Taounate, the Koudiat Borna dam in Sidi Kacem, the Ratba dam in Taounate (in a consortium with STAM), and the Aït Ziat dam in the Haouz region.

SGTM is also raising the Mohammed V dam and rebuilding the Sakia El Hamra dam, damaged by flooding in 2016. These projects represent a total investment of almost 7.12 billion dirhams. As a result, the company’s turnover is set to rise from 4.1 billion dirhams in 2021 to 7.4 billion dirhams in 2022, an increase of over 77%, according to the company’s financial report, consulted by TelQuel.

In addition to the Ratba dam project, the future second largest in Morocco, shared with SGTM, Société de travaux agricoles marocains (STAM), headed by Louis Raymond Baudrand, has won three other significant contracts: the Boulaouane dam in Chichaoua, the Oued Lekhdar dam in Azilal and the Fask dam in Guelmim, with a total budget of almost 8 billion dirhams. According to the company’s financial report, STAM has posted a slight increase in turnover, from 1.59 billion dirhams in 2021 to 1.68 billion in 2022.

Bioui Travaux, recently renamed SBTX, based in the Oriental region, is in charge of building the Oued Ghiss, Kheng Grou, Beni Azimane and Targa Ou Madi dams, for a total investment of 4.1 billion dirhams. This company, founded by Abdenbi Bioui, is going through a period of turbulence following the « Escobar of the Sahara » affair which landed its founder in prison. Nevertheless, under the management of Amine Benabdellah, SBTX (formerly Bioui Travaux) has recorded a 20% increase in turnover, reaching 826 million dirhams in 2022, according to the company’s financial report.

The Société maghrébienne de génie civil (SOMAGEC) has been selected for the Tamri dam project in Agadir and the raising of the Mokhtar Soussi dam in Taroudant, with a total budget of 4 billion dirhams. SOMAGEC recorded turnover in excess of 1 billion dirhams in 2022, compared with 899 million the previous year, an increase of 12%, according to its financial report.

Finally, the Houar company, also based in the Oriental region, is responsible for the construction of the Kharroub dam in Tangier and the Taghzirt dam in Beni Mellal, worth a total of 2.15 billion dirhams. Unlike other companies in the building and civil engineering sector, Houar has seen its turnover fall from 866 million dirhams in 2021 to 735 million in 2022, a drop of 15%, according to our sources.

Morocco’s advantageous dominance

Morocco has succeeded in developing its own construction and civil engineering champions in the dam sector », says a source at the Ministry of Public Works

These four family-owned companies, plus STAM, largely dominate the market for large dam construction in Morocco. However, according to our source at the Ministry of Public Works, other construction and civil engineering companies are beginning to emerge in the dam-building sector, although they are mainly involved in hill dams and small and medium-sized dams.

« However, the mastery of mega-buildings remains the prerogative of these large companies », stresses our source. For this connoisseur of the building and civil engineering sector, the preponderance of these five companies in the large dam market is a positive sign. « Morocco has succeeded in developing its own construction and civil engineering champions in the dam sector », he says with satisfaction. He adds that this national expertise, built up over the years, has enabled these companies to « impose themselves on large-scale strategic projects, while at the same time slowing down the entry of major international groups« .

It also underlines the « strengthening of Moroccan skills« , which now limits « the kingdom’s dependence on foreign expertise, in the dam-building sector where significant progress has been made« .

He concludes: « Morocco is now called upon to develop a national seawater desalination industry, following the guidelines of King Mohammed VI, in order to guarantee our autonomy in this sector, which is also strategic for our water and agricultural security ».

Written by Younes Saoury. Edited in English by S.E.