As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, the infrastructure supporting this transformation is becoming just as strategically important as the algorithms themselves. High-performance data centers, once considered backend utilities, are now central to digital sovereignty, economic competitiveness, and national security. In this rapidly evolving landscape, Morocco is emerging as a serious contender on the African continent, pursuing a set of large-scale, renewable-powered data infrastructure projects aimed at integrating the country into the global AI ecosystem.
The recent announcement of OpenAI’s Stargate Norway project, a 230 megawatt (MW) hyperscale data center situated in Northern Norway, highlights the growing demand for sovereign AI compute capacity. Powered entirely by hydropower and designed to house up to 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by the end of 2026, the facility represents Europe’s ambition to secure localized, sustainable AI infrastructure independent from foreign data regimes. While the Norwegian initiative is part of a broader push to anchor artificial intelligence in European soil, similar efforts are quietly gaining momentum further south.
Morocco’s AI strategy may not yet match the visibility of its European counterparts, but its direction is equally ambitious. The country is currently developing multiple AI data center projects that rival the scale of Stargate Norway and reflect a broader national vision, one that intertwines technology, sustainability, and long-term economic transformation. Chief among these projects is the upcoming data center in Dakhla, located in southern Morocco, which is being developed in partnership with South Korean tech giant Naver, supported by Nvidia and backed financially by Lloyds Capital. This initiative aims to deploy 500 MW of capacity over time, with the first 40 MW phase scheduled for completion in 2026. The site will rely on Morocco’s abundant solar and wind energy resources, establishing a foundation for AI compute that is both powerful and environmentally sustainable.
Parallel to the Dakhla project, a separate development is unfolding in Tetouan, where U.S.-based startup Iozera.ai has signed an agreement to build a 386 MW data center as part of what it calls Eureka Park, an integrated innovation campus combining AI infrastructure with incubation, education, and public-private collaboration. Together, these two projects alone represent nearly 900 MW of planned capacity, positioning Morocco not just as a regional player, but as a potential provider of compute infrastructure for clients across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
From a business perspective, Morocco’s value proposition is becoming increasingly clear. The country offers competitive land and construction costs, abundant renewable energy sources, and a stable political environment. These advantages are coupled with its strategic geographic location, which allows it to serve as a logistical and data gateway between continents. For global technology firms and AI developers, Morocco presents a compelling opportunity to deploy high-performance infrastructure with a significantly reduced carbon footprint and lower operational costs.
For domestic enterprises, ranging from startups to medium-sized businesses, the emergence of sovereign AI infrastructure represents a transformative shift. Traditionally, Moroccan companies have had limited access to advanced compute resources, relying on foreign cloud platforms that are both expensive and located far from end users. With local infrastructure, Moroccan firms will gain access to high-density GPUs, low-latency AI services, and enterprise-grade data capabilities that can accelerate innovation across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, logistics, and fintech.
The potential benefits also extend to Moroccan institutions and citizens. Several projects, including Eureka Park, are explicitly linked to talent development, research collaboration, and entrepreneurship support. As these facilities come online, they are expected to create thousands of skilled jobs in electrical engineering, data science, cooling systems management, and software development. National universities, particularly the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), are aligning their programs with this new technological landscape, reinforcing Morocco’s capacity to train and retain the talent required to power its digital future.
In the long term, these developments support Morocco’s broader goal of digital sovereignty. By hosting data domestically, the country can exert greater control over sensitive government, financial, and health-related information while complying with evolving global regulations around AI transparency, ethical risk mitigation, and energy efficiency. At the same time, Morocco’s commitment to green infrastructure enhances its credibility as a sustainable technology hub. Projects are being designed with circular energy systems, including liquid cooling technologies and waste heat reuse, aligning with global best practices.
When compared to Stargate Norway, Morocco’s combined infrastructure potential stands out. While Norway’s flagship project is projected to scale up to 520 MW, Morocco’s initiatives in Dakhla and Tetouan already exceed that threshold in planned capacity. Both projects emphasize renewable energy and advanced cooling systems, and both serve geopolitical agendas, Norway supporting European AI sovereignty, and Morocco advancing MENA-African autonomy and intercontinental connectivity. One key distinction lies in public perception and regulatory maturity. Norway benefits from EU-aligned regulations under the AI Act and Energy Efficiency Directive, whereas Morocco is still drafting its national AI governance framework, a process expected to gain traction in the coming year as these infrastructure investments materialize.
In the immediate future, the most tangible impact will be seen in job creation, foreign direct investment, and policy modernization. The Moroccan government has already received over a billion dollars in infrastructure and AI-related commitments in 2025 alone, with more expected as development accelerates. National strategies such as Digital Morocco 2030 are being updated to reflect these realities, with renewed focus on ethical AI deployment, public-private collaboration, and regional leadership within the African Union.
In the broader scheme of things, Morocco is not merely trying to catch up, it is positioning itself as a continental anchor in the next phase of the global AI race. While it may not yet command the scale or brand recognition of projects in the U.S., UAE, or Europe, it is laying the groundwork for a future in which African nations do not just consume AI technologies, but help shape and host the infrastructure that powers them. Morocco’s success will ultimately depend on its ability to translate infrastructure into accessible, inclusive digital services that serve both its citizens and its economic partners.
As AI continues to redefine where value is created and who controls it, Morocco is betting that compute sovereignty, powered by the sun and wind, will be one of its most valuable assets.
