A review of the full 9 October text finds no reference to “Moroccans of the world,” “Moroccans residing abroad,” “MRE” or “diaspora.” The address was framed primarily for a new Parliament and called for the coming political term to become a genuine turning point. It linked economic ambition to social and territorial justice, and set priorities ranging from water, energy and food security to industry, digital transformation, AI, youth and decentralisation.
The useful MMNEWS question is therefore not where the King mentioned the diaspora. He did not. It is where Moroccans abroad can contribute to the direction he set.
The answer is across almost the entire agenda.
A constitutional role that does not depend on a single speech
Article 16 of Morocco’s Constitution requires the state to protect the legitimate interests of citizens abroad, preserve their ties with Morocco and strengthen their contribution to national development. It also assigns them a bridge-building role with the societies and governments of their countries of residence. Articles 17 and 18 recognise full citizenship and participation in consultative and governance institutions.
That framework matters. A call for business to invest, export and create jobs also concerns Moroccan entrepreneurs overseas. A national push for AI, scientific research and industry concerns diaspora engineers, researchers and academics. A demand for stronger regional decision-making directly affects expatriate investors who still face fragmented procedures in their places of origin.
The diaspora is not a sector. It operates across sectors.
122 billion dirhams is a foundation, not a definition
The most visible contribution remains financial. Morocco’s Foreign Exchange Office reports that transfers by Moroccans abroad reached MAD 122.023 billion in 2025, up 2.6% from MAD 118.979 billion in 2024. The figure has risen by more than MAD 26 billion since 2021.
These flows support households, savings, consumption and Morocco’s external accounts. They have also shown resilience during periods of crisis.
But remittances are not the same as productive investment. Money sent to parents or used for housing performs a vital social and economic function, but it does not automatically create a company, a patent or a long-term job.
The next policy shift should therefore measure not only how much money enters Morocco but how much value is created: businesses launched, jobs generated, research funded, technologies transferred and export markets opened.
The National Forum on Investment and Moroccans of the World, held in Tangier in May 2026, recognised this challenge. It brought together nearly 300 participants, including more than 150 diaspora investors, alongside all 12 Regional Investment Centres. That regional presence reflected the real task: turning attachment into territorial projects.
A six-million-strong community — and a reservoir of expertise
The Moroccan community abroad is officially estimated at more than six million people. The department responsible for Moroccans abroad says over 400,000 hold a master’s-level degree or higher. Their fields include information technology, scientific research, higher education, automotive production, aerospace, medicine, law and entrepreneurship.
This skills base maps almost exactly onto the speech’s priorities.
Mobilisation cannot be reduced to permanent return. A scientist in Montreal, an engineer in Munich, a physician in Brussels or a founder in Dubai can contribute through a joint laboratory, an expert mission, mentoring, investment, professional training or access to a new market.
Modern development is networked. Diaspora policy should be too.
Science: from ceremonial recognition to funded participation
Morocco’s National Programme for Research, Development and Innovation Support for 2025-2028 carries announced funding of MAD 1 billion. Of that amount, MAD 200 million is specifically allocated to mobilising Moroccan expertise abroad within the national research and innovation system.
This is an important transition. Overseas scientists are no longer being invited only to conferences or celebrated for careers built elsewhere. A dedicated funding line now connects them to a programme involving the Higher Education Ministry, the OCP Foundation, CNRST and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.
FINCOME provides another channel, supporting stays of three to 12 months with Moroccan public universities, research institutions and interested economic actors. Its themes — water, health, food security, renewable energy, phosphate technologies and technology transfer — closely overlap with the strategic sovereignty agenda set out in the speech.
Success must now be measured in joint publications, patents, prototypes, companies, trained teams and technologies adopted by Moroccan industry.
AI policy should mobilise talent without waiting for return
By placing the digital economy and artificial intelligence among Morocco’s next major strategies, the speech opened an area where diaspora participation could be immediate.
Moroccan professionals work across European, North American, Asian and Gulf technology ecosystems. Their advantage extends beyond coding. They understand standards, intellectual property, venture finance, product development and international innovation chains.
They could support joint university chairs, mixed research teams, visiting-engineer programmes, diaspora venture funds, start-up mentoring, cybersecurity projects and technology transfer to small and medium-sized businesses.
Morocco does not need another static directory of impressive résumés. It needs an organised market for expertise: a system through which a region, university, administration or company can identify a skill, commission a mission and evaluate its result.
Regional development is where trust will be tested
Many Moroccans abroad retain a family or emotional connection to a particular province. That geography of attachment can become a geography of investment — in smart agriculture, water treatment, telemedicine, renewable energy, training, sustainable tourism and business services.
But loyalty cannot compensate for administrative weakness. Investors need one accountable counterpart, predictable deadlines, remote procedures, reliable land information and enforceable contracts. The King’s demand for effective decentralisation is therefore a condition for diaspora investment, not an abstract administrative reform.
Existing mechanisms include MDM Invest, MDM Tamwil, the CGEM’s “13th Region” and Regional Investment Centres. The next step should be a single digital journey for diaspora investors rather than another layer of institutions.
Co-development and the human infrastructure of foreign policy
The international section of the speech announced a strategic document built around co-development, economic competitiveness and regional stability.
Moroccans abroad can form the human infrastructure of that approach. They know the languages, institutions and markets of the countries with which Morocco negotiates. They can connect universities, hospitals, local authorities, companies and investors.
This is precisely the role anticipated by Article 16 of the Constitution, which links diaspora participation in Morocco’s development to stronger cooperation with host societies.
They should not, however, be treated as automatic diplomatic auxiliaries. Their value comes from professional credibility and dual experience. Morocco preserves that value by treating them as partners and citizens, not merely communication relays.
From recognition to co-production
The 9 October speech did not name Moroccans abroad. MMNEWS does not conceal that. But it described the Morocco to which they can contribute: economically ambitious, more secure in strategic resources, technologically capable, territorially balanced and firmer in its partnerships.
Moroccans abroad have already demonstrated attachment through family transfers. Scientists, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, artists and executives show every day that their contribution extends far beyond money.
The next stage is not another tribute. It is participation in producing policies, knowledge, companies and solutions.
Diaspora engagement will become a structural national force only when Moroccans abroad gain a clear place in decision-making and delivery. That is how they can help turn the parliamentary “turning point” from a phrase into measurable progress.
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