Abrupt Cancellation of the Architectural Competition for the Al Amal Complex: An Incomprehensible Halt to a Structuring Project for National Tennis
It is a decision as sudden as it is unjustifiable that has struck the worlds of sport, architecture and public infrastructure governance. The National Company for the Construction and Management of Sports Facilities (SONARGES) has proceeded, without any convincing public explanation, to the surprise cancellation of the architectural competition for the upgrading of the Al Amal Sports Complex in Casablanca, abruptly putting an end to a project that had nevertheless been announced, structured and budgeted at more than 92 million dirhams.
This reversal comes only a few weeks after the official launch, in late December 2025, of an ambitious call for tenders aimed at the comprehensive and sustainable rehabilitation of one of the most emblematic sites of Moroccan tennis. The announcement had raised genuine hope among sports stakeholders, architects, clubs and enthusiasts, given that the Al Amal Complex embodies a living sporting heritage and considerable potential for the future.
The cancelled project was far from improvised. It was built around a clear vision: modernizing sports infrastructure, renovating playing surfaces, improving lighting, upgrading the stands, integrating modern scoring equipment and creating functional spaces dedicated to players. The men’s and women’s locker rooms were to be completely refurbished, with particular attention paid to accessibility for persons with reduced mobility, in line with international standards.
Beyond the strictly sporting dimension, the program included a medical room, an anti-doping control area, zones dedicated to match management, media and photographers, as well as a substantial improvement of public spaces. Landscape enhancement, fluid circulation and the integration of eco-responsible solutions were among the key pillars of a project designed to anchor Al Amal in modernity and sustainability.
Located at the heart of the economic capital, the Al Amal Sports Complex is not an ordinary facility. With its 13 clay courts and its 5,000-seat center court, it has long been a pillar of national and continental tennis. It hosted the Grand Prix Hassan II, a benchmark tournament on the African circuit, and welcomed major figures of world tennis, contributing to Casablanca’s sporting and social influence.
Yet, despite this prestigious legacy, Al Amal has gradually been relegated to a grey area of public action. A previous attempt at upgrading the complex, entrusted to Casa Event as part of a delegation from the Casablanca Municipality, ended in a resounding failure, leaving the site to sink into slow but certain deterioration.
The current cancellation of the architectural competition thus resonates as a new admission of powerlessness, or even as an alarming symptom of a lack of vision, continuity and transparency in the management of strategic sports facilities. It raises serious questions:
Why launch a large-scale call for tenders only to cancel it without clear communication?
What about the time, resources and expertise mobilized by architects and design offices?
What credibility can now be given to institutional announcements?
At a time when Morocco aspires to host major international sporting events and to position sport as a lever for urban and social development, the abrupt halt of the Al Amal project sends a disastrous signal. It undermines the trust of professionals, weakens public planning credibility and jeopardizes the future of a historic site that deserves better than decision-making drift.
Al Amal does not need aborted promises. It needs clear, accountable and responsible decisions. Failing that, an entire chapter of national sporting memory risks being lost in the maze of directionless management.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv
