Morocco Allocates Millions for Mosque Projects, Focuses on Post-Earthquake Recovery

IQNA – Morocco has announced plans to invest $15.46 million in mosque construction and renovation for 2025, with a focus on rebuilding religious sites damaged by the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake.

Morocco's Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, has announced that MAD 154.6 million ($15.46 million) will be allocated for mosque construction in 2025. This funding will support the completion of 23 ongoing projects and the initiation of 9 new mosques, Morocco World News reported on Tuesday.

In a recent address to the House of Representatives, Toufiq outlined additional initiatives aimed at enhancing the country's religious infrastructure.

These include MAD 275.5 million ($27.55 million) for rehabilitating damaged mosques and MAD 146.9 million ($14.69 million) for preserving historic mosques. Furthermore, MAD 264.9 million ($26.49 million) is designated to equip 1,640 mosques with energy-efficient installations.

The urgency of these efforts has intensified following the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake, which impacted 2,217 mosques. In response, the ministry launched a three-year program with a budget of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million) to rehabilitate damaged religious buildings and waqfs.

To date, 1,100 of the affected mosques have been reopened, though approximately 1,454 remain closed, requiring an estimated MAD 2 billion ($200 million) for rehabilitation.

Morocco currently hosts around 52,000 mosques, with 72% located in rural areas. The distribution highlights regional disparities, with rural areas averaging 15 mosques per 5,000 residents, compared to just 4 in urban centers.

The ministry's broader strategy includes constructing 17 religious, administrative, and cultural complexes at a total cost of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million). For the current fiscal year, MAD 225 million ($22.5 million) has been allocated for the development and maintenance of these complexes.

Since 2010, Morocco has rehabilitated approximately 2,020 mosques at a cost of MAD 3.44 billion ($344 million) and restored 148 historic mosques. Presently, 563 mosques are undergoing rehabilitation, with an estimated budget of MAD 1.2 billion ($120 million), and 171 others are in the study phase, requiring MAD 195 million ($19.5 million).

Source: Agencies