Illustrative image. (USAFRICOM)
Morocco is preparing to host several of Israel’s largest defense companies at next month’s Marrakech Airshow, highlighting the rapid expansion of military cooperation between the two countries and giving Israeli weapons manufacturers a larger foothold in North Africa.
Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Xtend and Uvision are among the companies scheduled to participate in the October 7-10 exhibition at the Royal Moroccan Air Force base in Marrakech, Business Insider Africa reported on September 26.
The companies are expected to present air-defense systems, drones, precision weapons and satellite technologies as they seek new contracts and industrial partnerships in Morocco.
The event reflects a relationship that has moved well beyond diplomatic normalization. Morocco already operates Israeli-made Heron and Hermes drones and has acquired IAI’s Barak 8 air-defense system in a deal reported at about $500 million. It also bought 36 ATMOS 2000 self-propelled howitzers from Elbit Systems in 2025, while Business Insider reported that Morocco is expected to acquire 8 to 12 PULS multiple rocket launchers in a deal of roughly $150 million.
Israel’s defense industry is also looking to establish a longer-term presence inside Morocco rather than simply sell individual weapons.
IAI is involved in a Moroccan satellite project reported at about $1 billion, while the companies attending the Marrakech show are expected to pursue local cooperation and technology transfer.
Morocco has more than 150 aerospace companies, making the country both a defense customer and a potential manufacturing base for companies seeking access to the wider African market.
The military relationship is being reinforced by a fresh diplomatic push. On September 16, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita agreed to raise their diplomatic missions to full embassies and appoint ambassadors. They also agreed to expand air links and advance agreements covering investment and taxation.
The announcement followed a meeting in New York hosted by United States Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.
The decision marks a significant step since Morocco joined the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords process in 2020. For Rabat, cooperation with Israel has provided access to Israeli military technology while also coinciding with broader efforts to strengthen Morocco’s defense industry and its position in Western Sahara. For Israel, Morocco offers an established North African partner at a time when its relationships across parts of Europe and the Arab world are becoming more politically difficult.
The most direct military logic of the partnership is Morocco’s rivalry with Algeria. Rabat and Algiers remain divided over Western Sahara, with Morocco claiming sovereignty over the territory and Algeria backing the Polisario Front.
Algeria has also rejected normalization with Israel, unlike Morocco and several Gulf states. Reuters reported this month that Algeria again stands opposed to normalization with Israel as part of its wider regional disagreements with countries that have developed closer ties with Jerusalem.
The relationship also has implications beyond the Maghreb. Israel’s ties with Spain have deteriorated sharply over Gaza, with Madrid recognizing a Palestinian state in 2024 and subsequently adopting measures restricting the transit of weapons bound for Israel.
Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador from Israel in March after months of diplomatic tensions, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has remained one of the more outspoken European critics of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.
At the same time, relations between Madrid and Rabat, although substantially improved since Spain backed Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy proposal in 2022, have recently encountered new strains.
Spain’s parliament on September 10 approved legislation allowing Sahrawis born under Spanish colonial rule to obtain Spanish citizenship, a measure Morocco opposes because of its position on Western Sahara. The vote followed a separate dispute over a mass migration surge into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The expanding partnership gives Israel a substantial defense and diplomatic presence in a country whose strategic importance extends from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and whose disputes with both Algeria and Spain intersect with issues important to Israel’s regional position. The Marrakech Airshow will provide the clearest public demonstration yet of how far that relationship has moved.
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