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The British Ambassador to Morocco, Alex Pinfield, has pointed to Agadir’s growing importance in the evolving relationship between Morocco and the UK during his visit to the city, part of a series of regional visits across Morocco, following similar visits in Marrakech, Casablanca and Tangier.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Pinfield described the city as a strategic hub for tourism, trade, agriculture, and future investment opportunities linked to Morocco’s development ambitions ahead of 2030.
He said the southern Moroccan city takes a central place in bilateral ties due to its strong tourism appeal for British travelers and its expanding economic potential.
“Agadir is a really important part of the UK-Morocco relationship,” the ambassador said, noting that British tourists represent one of the largest groups of foreign visitors to the city.
“It’s a really popular destination, but the relationship goes beyond that. It’s also about trade and investment,” he further explained.
Pinfield argued that the city’s ongoing infrastructure transformation, including port expansion projects, airport development plans, and preparations linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, is a key factor in its growing strategic importance.
“There’s a lot of infrastructure development happening in Agadir city, and there’s now a direct commercial shipping route between Agadir and London,” he told MWN.
The ambassador emphasized the importance of the Souss-Massa region in Morocco’s agricultural exports, particularly fruit and vegetables shipped to the British market.
“A lot of fruit and vegetables from this region get exported to the UK,” he noted, adding that the visit aimed to deepen ties with local authorities, tourism professionals, agricultural cooperatives, and economic stakeholders.
“We are here to form long-lasting relationships with the administration, with tourism representatives, with the agricultural collectives who help to supply vegetables to the UK market,” Pinfield maintained.
The ambassador also stressed that the visit served to identify concrete business opportunities for British companies interested in Morocco’s growing economy.
“I was hearing today about the plans for developing the stadium in advance of the World Cup, extending the airport infrastructure and many other projects that are underway here,” he said.
“I expect to see that there will be some really tangible projects that we can follow up with British companies.”
Morocco as stable strategic partner
Pinfield called Morocco a valuable and stable ally for the UK amid global uncertainty.
“Morocco is a very valuable partner for us,” he said. “It’s a partner that we have a really strong political relationship with.”
The ambassador referenced the recent visit of Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to London, where discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation with British officials.
“I think there is a great value in having a partner where there is loyalty and there is stability that goes in both directions, between UK and Morocco,” Pinfield stated.
He also pointed to Morocco’s strategic geographic location connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, saying the North African country’s regional position increases its importance for British political and economic interests.
“Trade is growing, tourism is growing,” he said. “As we approach 2030 in particular, the investment opportunities for British companies here will be growing as well.”
Tourism cooperation between the two countries
Tourism remains one of the strongest pillars of bilateral relations, according to the ambassador, who praised Morocco’s growing popularity among British travelers.
“We had 1.4 million British people come to the whole of Morocco last year, so it’s a really great industry,” Pinfield told MWN.
He explained that the British Embassy works closely with Moroccan authorities and tourism stakeholders to support British nationals and promote Morocco as a destination.
“In practical terms, the embassy provides consular services,” he said. “We support British nationals if anything does go wrong for them.”
Pinfield added that cooperation with local authorities and police services in Agadir forms part of broader efforts to ensure a positive experience for British visitors.
“We’ve been working closely with the tourism board, for example, and their representatives as well, and we really see the true potential here to grow even further,” he added.
Agadir emerges as UK gateway to Africa
The ambassador mentioned Agadir’s potential role as a gateway for broader African economic engagement, particularly as Morocco continues investing heavily in logistics, renewable energy, telecommunications, and financial services.
“It’s clear that with the development that is going on here and the plans Morocco has for the coming few years, that there’s a real sense of dynamism here,” he maintained.
Pinfield described Morocco as a continental leader in sectors such as renewable energy, adding that British companies increasingly view the country as a platform for expansion into African markets.
Building regional partnerships
Pinfield emphasized that, as ambassador, it is important for him to travel beyond Rabat in order to understand Morocco’s regional diversity and economic opportunities.
“I think it’s fantastically important as an ambassador to make sure that you occasionally go beyond just the capital city,” the British ambassador said.
Pinfield also affirmed that the visits allow British officials to establish stronger local partnerships in areas ranging from trade and tourism to healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
He pointed to opportunities linked to World Cup preparations, healthcare projects, and energy infrastructure as areas, where British firms are already showing interest.
“So in all of these areas, I’m able to use these visits to hear more about the opportunities,” he explained.
Pinfield added that engaging directly with Moroccan communities across the country has helped him gain “a more rounded view of this fantastic country.”
English language growth in Morocco
The ambassador further highlighted the increasing interest in English language learning across Morocco, describing it as one of the trends that stood out most during his travels across the country.
“One of the other things I’ve noticed as I travel around the country is the growth of the English language,” he said.
Through programs led by the British Council, the UK supports English-language education and teacher training initiatives in Morocco.
“One of those programs helps to teach English teachers, and here in Agadir, there have been well over 30 teachers this year who have participated in those training courses sponsored by the British Council,” he said.
Pinfield concluded the UK will continue investing in English-language education initiatives as part of broader people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Source: Morocco word news
