It Is Not Always Terrorist Attackers, Good Things Are Happening Here In North Africa

By Okechukwu Okugo

With the recent downing of a Russian plane in Egypt and the pockets of terrorists attacks in North Africa, preceded by the Arab Spring that created a hydra headed problem in Libya with the ongoing war among the militias that ousted Gadhafi,  one might be wondering is there really something good going on in this part of Africa?

Yes there is. In fact the world's aviation needs is being met in a large way by countries in North Africa like Morocco.
Because of the nearness of Morocco to Europe and the availability of low cost labor, many aviation companies have set up in Morocco and doing fine business.
A good example is the Matis Aerospace founded in 2001, a joint venture company between Boeing and France's Safran. Here they put together complicated harnesses and wire bundles for the aircraft industries in USA and Europe.
They supply companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Snecma and Dassault.

In order to see how large this joint venture is, Matis company exported 70 million Euro worth of aircraft accessories in 2014; and from a workforce of 900 workers had perfected project plans to increase the company's work base with more 300 workers, according to figures given by www.ft.com.

Morocco's aeronautic industry employs at least 11,500 people currently, and in 2014 exported products worth a billion dollar by official confirmation and growing at 15% a year.

According to ft.com, Hamid Benbrahim El-Andaloussi, president of Gimas, a group of Moroccan private-sector aeronautic companies -
"There are 35,000 aircraft to be built globally over the next 20 years. Today Morocco is the place to be if you want to penetrate Europe at the best cost. Ten years ago companies were in eastern Europe and Ireland, but since these countries joined EU, they have become less and less competitive."

It is reported that there are 100 international companies in Morocco which include Alcoa, Bombardier and Stelia, a subsidiary of Airbus with a collective investment portfolio worth up to 800 million dollars and more than half of these companies expanding in capacity and operations geometrically.

Indeed good things are happening in North Africa.

(Above is the photo of Matis Aerospace, Morocco, led by Abdelghani Errahmani.)