Casablanca Finance City (CFC) recently showcased its strategic significance at several multilateral financial and economic events in Beijing, focusing on key aspects such as Morocco’s investment attractiveness, bilateral financial and economic partnerships, carbon market developments, and the potential for Chinese enterprises to leverage Morocco as a springboard for their ventures into the African market. These events underscore CFC’s role as a pivotal financial and business hub for the African continent.
Established in 2010, the Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA) is tasked with the development and promotion of Casablanca Finance City, which has earned the title of Africa’s foremost financial center according to the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI). Currently, CFCA boasts a membership of nearly 300 international firms operating across 50 African nations, highlighting its extensive reach and influence.
During its participation in the panel discussion titled “Financing the Future: Mobilizing Private Capital for Resilient Infrastructure and Nature,” co-hosted by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF), CFC was invited to share insights on Morocco’s evolving carbon market ecosystem, green finance initiatives, and climate-related investments. CFC's contributions to the discourse emphasized its activities in three fundamental areas: the development of market infrastructure and governance, policy advocacy, and the cultivation of a robust ecosystem. This encompasses efforts to establish a national Article 6.2 registry, contribute to Morocco’s climate policy framework, and enhance carbon market expertise within Casablanca.
Aziz El Khyari, the Director of Business Development and Carbon Markets at the Casablanca Finance City Authority, articulated that carbon markets extend beyond mere environmental concerns; they encapsulate critical industrial and competitive dynamics. He asserted that CFC's primary mission is to foster an ecosystem that empowers Moroccan and African projects to maximize value while simultaneously advancing decarbonization and enhancing their long-term competitiveness in global markets.
Furthermore, during the China-Africa Financial Bridges Forum 2026 on May 20, Casablanca Finance City was represented among key figures from China-Africa exchange networks and business leaders engaged in China-Morocco economic collaborations. Aziz El Khyari, as a keynote speaker, expounded on the advantages of Morocco’s broader business climate. He highlighted that Casablanca Finance City operates as a premier Moroccan financial and business center focused on Africa, offering a world-class business environment characterized by a stable exchange rate, a reliable policy framework, and robust international market connectivity. This connectivity is bolstered by Morocco's extensive free trade agreements with numerous countries and regions, alongside notable advantages in air transport, tax incentives, and the facilitation of cross-border capital flows, all of which attract foreign talent.
Aziz further pointed out that Casablanca Finance City has consistently ranked at the top of Africa’s financial center index for several years. Noteworthy Chinese institutions and companies, such as the Bank of China, Huawei, Lenovo, and UnionPay, have established regional headquarters in CFC, reinforcing its position as a crucial base for Chinese businesses aiming to penetrate African markets and extend their reach to Europe and beyond.
The core value proposition that CFC extends to the Chinese market can be encapsulated in three primary dimensions. Firstly, the competitiveness of its regulatory and business environment is paramount. CFC provides international firms with tax incentives, streamlined cross-border capital flows, and a high degree of policy stability, factors that are closely tied to fostering investor confidence and ensuring long-term operational efficiency for companies setting up regional headquarters.
Secondly, CFC offers tangible support for the regional expansion of Chinese companies. It is not merely a theoretical “gateway to Africa,” but a practical platform that facilitates various operational aspects, including team deployment, administrative assistance, business establishment, and integration into local and regional ecosystems.
Lastly, CFC is committed to providing access to African markets. Its strategy is not to position Casablanca as an isolated entity, but to develop it into a regional hub from which businesses can enter, understand, and connect with the African landscape.
Through collaborations with governmental bodies and market participants across multiple countries, alongside delegation exchanges and investment matchmaking initiatives, CFC is actively fulfilling its role as a conduit connecting businesses in Casablanca to the broader African continent. This positioning is synergistic with the evolving international development strategies of Chinese enterprises.
As reported by globalpeople.com.cn.
