Operating in Morocco? Speak with a security consultant.
Morocco is North Africa’s most visited country and a significant commercial hub with strong links to France, Spain, and increasingly the Gulf. Casablanca hosts the regional headquarters of multiple international companies. The country has a well-developed tourism economy alongside a terrorism risk that Moroccan authorities actively manage through one of the Maghreb’s more capable counter-terrorism services.
FCDO advises against all travel to within 30km of the Algerian border and to areas of the Western Sahara. General caution is required across Morocco. The terrorism threat in Morocco is assessed as likely by FCDO, based on the frequency of disrupted plots.
Terrorism: disrupted cells and attack history
The 2018 Imlil murders, attributed to Daesh-inspired perpetrators, were the most significant terrorism attack on foreign nationals in Morocco in the current period. Two Scandinavian tourists were killed in the Atlas Mountains in a premeditated attack. The perpetrators had pledged allegiance to Daesh.
Moroccan authorities have since that attack and throughout 2022-2025 regularly announced disruption of planned terrorist operations. The DGST (Direction Generale de la Surveillance du Territoire) is credited as one of the more effective counter-terrorism intelligence services in North Africa. Disruption is not the same as elimination: the threat remains live and current.
The 2023 earthquake
The September 2023 earthquake, which killed approximately 3,000 people and destroyed large parts of the Al Haouz province including villages near Marrakech, changed the risk picture for mountain and rural areas. Road infrastructure in the High Atlas remains affected. Any planned visit to mountain regions requires current infrastructure verification. Medical evacuation routes from Atlas areas should be confirmed before any group visit to affected zones.
Counter-terrorism capability
Moroccan counter-terrorism capability is noteworthy. The DGST has a sustained record of disrupting attack planning in the period since the 2003 Casablanca bombings. This does not reduce the threat to zero: it means that the threat is being actively managed by a capable service. For visiting executives, the practical implication is that Moroccan authorities are genuinely engaged in threat management and that coordination through appropriate channels is possible.
Casablanca operational environment
For Casablanca-based corporate operations, the primary practical risks are motorcycle drive-by theft, vehicle crime, and counterfeit alcohol. A vetted driver with a tracked vehicle, accommodation in licensed hotels, and standard personal security awareness are the appropriate baseline. Additional close protection is relevant for high-profile individuals and for any itinerary involving movement outside central Casablanca.
Source: FCDO Travel Advice: Morocco (2025). OSAC Morocco Country Security Report 2024. Human Rights Watch: 2018 Imlil Attack Reporting. US Geological Survey: 2023 Morocco Earthquake Data. US State Department Morocco Travel Advisory (2025).
Our vetted operators provide close protection and executive protection and security driver services across Morocco. For a detailed local assessment, see our Casablanca city briefing.
Cities We Cover
Casablanca
High riskMorocco's commercial capital and primary business hub. Motorcycle drive-by theft is frequent across central districts. Methanol deaths from counterfeit alcohol sold in informal settings are documented. Moroccan authorities regularly disrupt planned terrorist attacks. DGST intelligence capability is considered one of the more effective counter-terrorism services in the Maghreb.
View city guide →Rabat
Low-Moderate riskMorocco's administrative capital, seat of government, and the King's primary residence, hosting the country's largest diplomatic quarter in Souissi. Street-level crime is generally lower than in Casablanca; the distinct planning factor is government and embassy access around parliament, the royal palace, and foreign missions. Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA) serves the city directly, while many international visitors still route via Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN).
View city guide →Security Regulations
Firearms
Article 13 of Law 27-06 allows the staff of guarding and cash-transport companies to be armed, but only in line with the existing laws and regulations on weapons. Our close protection in Morocco is unarmed as standard. Ask the provider in writing which authorisation covers any armed officer.
Licensing
Private guarding and cash transport in Morocco are governed by Law 27-06 on guarding and cash-transport activities (Loi n° 27-06 relative aux activités de gardiennage et de transport de fonds, 2007). Companies need an authorisation from the competent authority; Hespress reported in April 2021 that the wilayas grant these authorisations and that most companies then operated without one. Staff with convictions incompatible with the work may not be employed. Ask any provider for its authorisation under Law 27-06.
Foreign Operators
The rules for foreign security companies and foreign personnel under Law 27-06 could not be confirmed against a primary source on 7 October 2026. Work through a Moroccan company authorised under the law, and take local legal advice before a foreign team carries out protective duties.
Sources, checked : Le Matin, La police privée encadrée par la loi (2008); Aujourd'hui le Maroc, Les agents de sécurité tenus de ne pas empiéter sur les prérogatives de la police; Hespress, Nouvelle vigie nationale, la sécurité privée saura-t-elle gagner en légitimité ? (12 April 2021); Médias24, Gardiennage: le secteur veut s'organiser pour faire appliquer la loi (23 December 2013).