International Arbitration: Paris and Casablanca, Two Complementary Hubs Serving Investment Legal Certainty

Speaking at a high-level meeting organized by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) under the theme “Paris, a legal hub: international arbitration,” the minister said that in an increasingly competitive global environment, major arbitration hubs are called upon to cooperate more closely by relying on their complementarities. He stressed that Paris and Casablanca have a shared interest in acting as complementary partners to support investment flows, particularly between Europe and Africa.

This complementarity, he noted, is reflected in the strength of bilateral economic relations, with more than 11,000 French companies exporting to Morocco, 70 percent of which are SMEs, and nearly 1,000 French subsidiaries operating in the Kingdom, providing around 150,000 direct jobs. France is Morocco’s leading foreign investor, while the Kingdom is the leading African investor in France.

On the same occasion, the French minister praised Morocco’s ambition and the progress achieved in recent years in the field of arbitration, particularly through the reform relating to arbitration and conventional mediation. This reform, he said, strengthens procedural efficiency and broadens the scope of arbitration, thereby helping to enhance Casablanca’s legal attractiveness.

Mr. Darmanin also highlighted Casablanca’s structural assets that position it as a major international arbitration hub, citing a dynamic financial center, a strategic geographical location, a stable legal environment, judges trained and sensitized to arbitration, an active academic community, and a strong presence of business law firms. Together, these factors place the city as a regional hub for dispute resolution, particularly for investment flows toward Africa.

For his part, CGEM President Chakib Alj said the meeting symbolizes the quality of Morocco–France relations and the importance attached to economic and legal issues in the service of businesses.

Mr. Alj emphasized the central role of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, which meet the concrete expectations of economic operators in terms of speed, clarity, and trust. He welcomed the reforms undertaken by Morocco, particularly the 2022 reform on arbitration and mediation, describing it as a strong signal to investors of the Kingdom’s determination to offer a modern, credible framework aligned with international standards.

He also expressed the ambition to make Casablanca a leading regional arbitration hub at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Arab world, stressing that in a context of unprecedented investment momentum in Morocco, consolidating an efficient arbitration ecosystem is an essential lever to attract sustainable international partnerships and strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy.

Meanwhile, Karim Mouttaki, President of the CGEM Legislation and Legal Affairs Commission, described the meeting as “highly instructive,” highlighting the significant progress Morocco has made in recent years, both in terms of infrastructure and its positioning as a regional hub for foreign investment, particularly toward Africa.

In this context, Mr. Mouttaki stressed in a statement to the press the need to secure and stabilize investments within a reassuring legal framework, underlining the importance of the arbitration reform adopted in 2022.

He said the meeting organized by the CGEM represents a clear example of the promotion of international arbitration, welcoming the vision presented by the French Minister of Justice regarding the French reform and the international standing of Paris as an arbitration hub, while recalling the efforts made by Morocco to strengthen its own arbitration ecosystem.

Held in the presence of the French Ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, the meeting brought together Moroccan and French institutional officials, legal and arbitration experts, and numerous business leaders to discuss issues related to legal certainty, economic attractiveness, and dispute resolution.

Editorial team/le7tv