African port development represents a significant and valuable opportunity for both investors and the global shipping community as whole. Investment in African port projects will soon exceed US$10 billion and North African Container traffic has more than tripled over a 10 year period.

PFI Morocco will cover key topics in the financing and development of the region's ports (including PPP) and also look at long term strategic initiatives - including Morocco's position as a logistics/connectivity hub between Europe and West Africa. 

Many African nations are under pressure to expand their port capacities to keep pace with their burgeoning economies. The conference will look to the region’s standout port projects and how to fulfil the need for further foreign investment to expand its service network. Issues integral to the success of North African developments such as improved infrastructure,  efficiency and regulatory procedures will also be discussed.

 

DAY 1

08:30 Registration & Welcome Tea/Coffee

09:30 Opening Notes from Conference Chair
Gordon Rankine, Director, Beckett Rankine

09:45 Keynote Address – Morocco’s Ports – A Transport and Trade Gateway to Africa
H.E. Mr Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Equipment, Transport and Logistics, Morocco

10:00 Welcome Address
H.E. Mr Clive Alderton, British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco and non-resident Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

10:15 Tea/Coffee Break 
Kindly Sponsored by TMPA

Session One: Spotlight on Morocco’s Ports Sector

10:45 An Overview of Morocco’s Port Developments and Outlook 
Moha Hamaoui, Director, Directorate of Ports and Maritime Public Domain  (DPDPM)

11:15 Mega Port Finance: The Case of Tanger Med
Loubna Ghaleb, Strategy & Development Director, Tanger Med Special Agency

11:45 Morocco’s Port Expansion Plans

  • Marsa Maroc port developments

Rachid Hadi, Executive Board Member and Operations Director of Casablanca Port, Marsa Maroc

12:15 Morocco as a Gateway to Africa: Fulfilling Morocco’s Potential as a Logistics Hub

  • Maghreb’s strategic positioning between Europe and Africa
  • Need for transhipment facilities to distribute cargo from regional hubs
  • Maintaining Moroccan connectivity
  • Intra port competition in the Maghreb and wider Med region
  • Tanger-Med case study

Sander Riemersma, General Manager Port Investments & Projects, APM Terminals

12:45 Lunch Break
Kindly Sponsored by STFA

Session Two: New Perspectives for Public Private Partnerships (PPP)

13:45 The Role of PPP in Morocco’s Port Reforms

  • The new governance model in Moroccan ports
  • Objectives and implications of the reforms

Sghir El Filali, Director of Regulation and Ports Development, ANP

14:15 Applying PPP in Morocco

  • InfraMaroc-InfraMed as key players in infrastructure financing
  • An environnment conducive to PPP
  • Infrastructures perspectives in Morocco

Noureddine Farih, CEO, CKI (CDG Capital Infrastructures)

14:45 PPP in Port Financing Round Up Discussion

15:15 Tea/Coffee Break

Session Three: Port Project Prospects

15:45 Financing Ports Projects

  • How banks assess port project risks
  • Financing methods for the ports sector
  • Improving access to financing

M’fadel El Halaissi, Associate Director General, BMCE

16:15 Ports Cities Programmes: Port Investment as an Economic Stimulus

  • How the development of cruise terminals can contribute to a better development of the old water front like in Tangiers and Casablanca
  • How investment in cruise terminals can play a role in the economic development of cities, by promoting tourism, employment
  • Which lessons can we learn from western European cities like Amsterdam and Hamburg which had redeveloped their waterfront
  • How to develop an economically and financially sound cruise project

Ab Cherribi, Manager Public Affairs, Port of Amsterdam

16:45 The Perspective of an International Financial Institution
Markus Pfeffer, Transport Sector Expert, European Investment Bank

17:15 Panel Session – The Role of FDI in Regional Development

  • Attracting diversified FDI sources and ongoing monetary stimulus
  • Key investor considerations
  • African investment landscape: risks and rewards for the foreign investor
  • Financing Africa’s ports

Moderated by Romain Py, Head of Transactions, African Infrastructure Investment Managers 

Panellists include:
Aurélien Boyer, Investment Officer, Infrastructure Department - Europe, Middle East and North Africa, IFC
Pierre More Ndong, Principal Transport Engineer, African Development Bank

18:00 Summary Notes Followed by Networking Reception

DAY 2

08:30 Registration & Welcome Tea/Coffee

09:30 Opening Notes from Conference Chair
John Fossey, Maritime Transport Consultant, Moffatt & Nichol

Session Four: Strengthening and Expanding the African Service Network

09:45 Maintaining Morocco’s Position as a Competitive Logistics Hub
Aissam Echabbi, Director of Strategy, Studies and Information, Moroccan Agency for the Development of Logistics (AMDL)

10:15 Ports and Logistics: The Strategic Levers of Trade and Competitiveness in South Mediterranean Countries
Mustapha El Khayat, President, AMLOG

10:45 West African Ports Developments

  • Mapping port infrastructure developments in West-Africa as the region adapts to the recent trends in the shipping industry

Michel Donner, Senior Advisor, Drewry

11:15 Tea/Coffee Break
Kindly Sponsored by Schneider Electrics

Session Five: Training and Planning for Efficient Ports and Terminals

11:45 Implementing Best Port Practices in Africa’s Ports

  • Ensuring best port practices in port planning and development, logistics and intermodality
  • Implementing better institutional framework and modern management structures
  • Port economic aspects

Vincent Ernoux, Project Manager, Valencia Port Foundation

12:10 Round Table Discussion Forum: Consolidating Africa’s Port Development through Investment in Infrastructure and Training

  • Implementing Modern Management Structures in Africa’s Ports
  • Ensuring best port practices
  • Need for better institutional and regulatory framework to support port operations

Moderated byDr Omar Benaini, Deputy CEO, LMS Organisation & Human Resources
Panellists include:
Said Asbaai, Human Resource Director, Marsa Maroc
Moroccan Maritime Cluster
Vincent Ernoux
, Project Manager, Valencia Port Foundation

13:00 Lunch

Session Six: Advancing Africa’s Ports Sector - Drivers & Inhibitors to Attracting Business *

14:00 Controlling Risk and Insurance in African Port Projects

  • Key insurance issues relating to the development of ports and terminals.
  • Focus on project control, operational issues, concessions

Andrew Webster, Partner, JLT

14:30 Corruption in African Ports

  • Prevalence of port corruption and subsequent trade costs
  • Bribe extraction and discretionary power of customs officials
  • Importance of bureaucratic organisation in implementing anti-corruption strategies
  • Understanding clearance chain dynamics to prevent targeted interventions, which displace corruption to downstream stages

Jonathan Bray, Senior Consultant, Control Risks

15:00 The Short-Sea Shipping Evolution in West Med between Northern and Southern Banks

  • Main trade flows between France/Spain/Italy and Morocco/Algeria
  • EU policy vs the development of seaborne flows with the Maghreb
  • Short offer/demand analysis about containers transportation in West Med
  • Key players, type of fleet, their strategy, main terminals, hubs and their plans for the future

Sylvie Doutres, Co-Managing Director, DsG Consultants

15:30 Summary Notes and Close of Conference

*Certain speakers, topics, titles and content may be subject to alteration. The organiser reserves the right to make changes to the programme as necessary

 

Registration is closed.

 

Venue
Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche, Rue Sidi Belyout 20 190 - Casablanca, Morocco
Website:http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-6811-sofitel-casablanca-tour-blanche/index.shtml

Accommodation:
Please contact Nawal Souky directly to arrange your accommodation at the Sofitel.

Please contact: Nawal Souky 
Tel: (00212) 522 456 300 
Email:H6811@sofitel.com

Special Port Finance International Delegate Rate:

Rooms are subject to availability.

Classic room 2370 MAD 
(Cancellation policy - Full deposit is not refundable even if the booking is cancelled or modified.
Full amount of stay is payable in advance by credit card at booking time).

Superior 2570 MAD
(No cancellation charge applies prior to 18:00 (local time), up to 3 days prior to arrival. Beyond that time, the first night will be charged. Booking must be guaranteed by providing a credit card).

Luxury 2770 MAD
(No cancellation charge applies prior to 18:00(local time) on the day of arrival. Beyond that time, the first night will be charged).

Breakfast not included. Breakfast rate per person 250 MAD.
Check in available from 14:00. 
Check out the room must be vacated by 12:00 at the latest.

Directions
Next to Casablanca port, the hotel can be accessed via Boulevard de la Corniche or Boulevard d'Anfa. From Marrakesh, the airport or Rabat, followthe N1 highway, crossing Sidi Maarouf and follow Boulevard Ghandi on the left to the end. Continue to the end of Boulevard du Lido, cross the Colline d'Anfa, turn right onto Boulevard de l'Atlantique and follow the coastline until you reach the hotel

Alternative Accommodation Best Western Toubkal Hotel:
Please contact Hasna Ait Mammassdirectly to arrange your accommodation at the Best WesternToubkal Hotel and mention the code: PORT FINANCE EVENT.

Please contact:
Tel: +212 5 22 31 14 14
Email: hoteltoubkal.bestw@menara.ma

Special Port Finance International Delegate Rate:

800 MAD for single or double room
Taxes 20 MAD for single occupancy
Taxes 40 MAD for double occupancy
Breakfast additional 100 MAD
Rooms are subject to availability.

Golden Tulip Farah Casablanca
(From 13 to 18 September 2014)

  • Single rooms including breakfast: 1350 Dh
  • Double rooms including breakfast: 1550 Dh
  • City Tax: 39.60 Dh/person/night

For booking please send email the reservation team: info@goldentulipfarahcasablanca.com
Or telephone: Rachida Ghozaili: 00 212. 522 458100

Visitor Information

  • Currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD) • Climate: temperatures vary from 20°c to 30°c in summer and from 15°c to 20°c in winter
  • Visas: contact your travel agent, the Moroccan embassy or airline for up-to-date visa requirements
  • Languages: French and Arabic, English widely spoken
     
Summits
International
31 January 2023
PFI Port Finance Summit
Mexico City
14 May 2020
PFI Port Finance Summit
Rio de Janeiro
13 June 2019
PFI Port Privatization Forum Rio