Author:
Jordi Selfa Clemente
Senior Analyst, CETMO
Enric Pons Agusti
Senior Analyst, CETMO
Date: 29.01.2026
Reading: 7 min.
Introduction
The Trans-Maghreb Multimodal Corridor (TMC) currently provides service to 66% of the population, 70% of the urban areas, and 66% of the industrial and activity zones across the Maghreb region. Its configuration extends parallel to the coastline, linking capital cities and major urban centers such as Nouadibou in Mauritania; Agadir, Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangier and Fez in Morocco; Oran, Chlef, Settif and Constantine in Algeria; Sousse, Sfax and Gabès in Tunisia; and finally Misrata, Sirte, Bengazhi and Tobruk in Libya. Additionally, various branches connect to important maritime transport hubs like Jadida, Safi and Nador in Morocco; Arzwe, Bejaia, Annaba and Skikda in Algeria.
A defining charachteristic of the present state of the TMC as Transport Corridor, and its main limitation, is the discontinuity between Algeria and Morocco. Indeed the TMC presently acts as two separated corridors, one serving Algeria, Tunisia and Libya and the second Morocco and Mauritania. While this hampers the wealth creation, regional integration and socioeconomic development potential of the corridor, still both segments make a substantial contribution to national vertebration and sub-regional integration.
Based on the current situation of the TMC, the existing available documentation and the information shared by the ministries of the region, the study “The Trans-Maghreb Multimodal Corridor. From Transport Corridor to Trade Corridor” assesses the state of the TMC’s infrastructure as a potential trade corridor and provides prioritised lists of specific projects to facilitate its development and to raise awareness, promote and encourage the commercial development of the region and its potential with neighbouring regions. This prioritisation is based on a theoretical exercise using real data from the identified projects, taking into account criteria such as policy alignment, project maturity, economic impact, social impact and financing. The study was prepared by CETMO with financial support from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT).
State of the TMC
With regard to the characterisation of the TMC as a transport corridor, it can be considered an operational corridor, with an established infrastructural core and well defined national transport development and investment plans. National administrations are aware that additional projects are needed for the corridor to achieve its complete potential as a transport facilitator. The identification and prioritization of 106 infarstructural Missing Link projects indicates the unrealized transport facilitation opportunities, and also outlines the main deficiencies and prioritizes corrective actions.
The missing link project distribution by country reflects the geographical size and TMC route length within each nation. Morocco and Algeria, having the longest TMC sections, have the highest number of required projects. The particularly extensive list of projects in Morocco also reflects the country’s active infrastructure development policies.
Near 40% of the missing link projects required are railway related. This is due to the present predominance of road transport in the region, combined with the fact that substantial portions of road infrastructures are already high-capacity ones after the investments over the last two decades. Additionally it respons to the the fact that infrastructure development objectives and planning across the Maghreb increasingly favors rail development, aligning with global trends toward more sustainable transport systems.
Regarding the state and required projects to facilitate and enhance the TMC as Trade Corridor, this study assesses three complementary dimensions: Multimodality infrastructure, Capillarity reach and Connectivity to other regions and corridors.
Assessment on multimodality infrastructure
An assessment of the state of multimodality infrastuctures reveals a noticeable mismatch between the available infrastructure and operational effectiveness and use. While the region has developed a foundational multimodal infrastructure—particularly in maritime terminals and some inland platforms—the practical utilization of these facilities for integrated transport operations remains limited. This is illustrated by the fact that rail container transport accounts for less than 2% of modal share in both Algeria and Morocco. This disparity between infrastructure development and operational integration presents both challenges and opportunities for the corridor’s evolution as a trade facilitator.
There is a striking exception the development of a successful export business ecosystem centered in Tanger Med, leveraging near-shoring trends in global production networks, and European firms increasingly looking to North Africa as a viable production and logistics hubs. This success is sustained by an effective and sophisticated multimodal transport system, with 80% rail modal share. It provides a powerful proof-of-concept that effective multimodality can be achieved in the region, as well as valuable insights into how effective multimodality can be realized when appropriate infrastructure, services, and commercial frameworks are aligned.
Additionally Morocco’s methodical approach developing a network of logistics platforms, with clear sequencing and prioritization, may also offer useful lessons for other Maghreb countries seeking to improve their multimodal transport systems.
Among the most priority multimodal infrastructure projects required identified in this study, maritime terminal developments feature prominently. This indicates that port modernization and expansion constitute essential prerequisites for enhancing the corridor’s multimodal capabilities and, consequently, its effectiveness as a trade corridor.
Summarizing, the current multimodal infrastructure state indicates that a temptative set of core components has been stablished, but not leveraged. Therefore an additional set of projects are required as identified and prioritized in this study. Additionally the underutilization of existing multimodal infrastructure indicates that for the TMC to successfully transition from a transport corridor to a trade corridor, physical infrastructure improvements need to be complemented by regulatory frameworks, modernized customs procedures, harmonized processes, digital systems integration, and active private sector participation.
Top 25 priority projects on TMC multimodality Infrastructure. Source: CETMO
Assessment on capillarity
Regarding capillarity, lets start noting that population and economic activity distribution in the Maghreb, concentrates largelly along Mediterranean coastal areas with few specific inland regions, particularly in Mauritania. Currently, the corridor directly serves 66% of the population, while some significant population centers remain insufficiently connected despite their relative proximity to the corridor, particularly in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
This study has identified and assessed the Relevant Economic Zones that lack adequate TMC service (REZs). Most are situated parallel to the corridor on its Mediterranean side. On the Atlantic side, REZs are found in Mauritanian Wilayas that border ECOWAS countries in the southernmost region. Most REZs are indeed close to the present layout of the TMC; in Algeria, the 10 most populated REZs are all located within 85 km of the TMC, indicating that important population centers are relatively accessible to the corridor despite lacking direct connection. Similarly in Morocco, 7 of the 10 most populated REZs are situated less than 100 km from the TMC.
This proximity presents clear enhancement possibilities and indicates that extending the corridor’s reach could be accomplished with moderate investment levels. Only Mauritania presents a different scenario, as its large territorial size and predominantly desert landscape result in TMC-to-REZ distances exceeding 400 km. The border region with ECOWAS countries holds particular strategic importance in this case.
The study identified 36 capillarity enhancement projects across the four countries, providing a practical framework for improving the TMC’s connectivity with surrounding zones. Rail projects constitute two-thirds of these initiatives, highlighting the considerable gap in rail infrastructure compared to road networks and suggesting that addressing this imbalance would support the development of a genuinely multimodal corridor system.
Geographic distribution of prioritized projects reveals different national development strategic approaches: Algeria focuses on north-south connections perpendicular to the TMC (following a territory penetration model), while Morocco is developing a parallel infrastructure axis from Agadir to Tangiers. These complementary approaches would enhance network resilience and capacity throughout the region.
Prioritization of capillarity projects. Source: CETMO
Assessment on connectivity to other regions and corridors
The assessment of TMC’s connectivity to other regions and corridors, includes a preliminary study of trade complementaries and the identification of key connections and its present state. Analysis of trade patterns and complementarities indicates low trade complementarity, even though not enough to justify the extremelly low intra-regional trade that amounts to just 5% of the total trade volume. The analysis also reveals that Morocco and especially Tunisia have greater potential to establish trade relationships with neighboring regions due to their export composition.
There appears to be considerable untapped potential for trade between Maghreb countries and neighboring regions, particularly with ECOWAS countries. Trade Complementarity Indices identify several promising relationships that could be developed through appropriate infrastructure and trade facilitation measures.
Within the context of Maghreb-ECOWAS trade relations, Mauritania could play a pivotal role. Enhancing its land transport infrastructure would not only strengthen Mauritania’s existing trade connections with Senegal but could also benefit Morocco’s trade with Senegal and support commerce with landlocked Mali.
Maghreb countries, particularly Algeria and Libya, would benefit from diversifying their export structures beyond hydrocarbons to establish more sustainable trade relationships with neighboring regions. Morocco and Tunisia with a comparatively diverse export portfolio have the greatest potential in the short and medium term to expand trade relationships with neighboring regions due to their export composition.
In some instances, Maghreb countries’ potential may lie less in direct import-export activities and more in facilitating logistics and transport chains between other trading partners. Growing trade relations between European GTMO 5+5 countries and the ECOWAS region could create opportunities for Maghreb countries to position their ports as strategic entry and exit points. To capitalize on this potential, Maghreb ports would need to offer efficient operations supported by effective transport and logistics networks, complemented by trade facilitation measures.
The Maghreb region’s geographical position could allow it to function as a transit hub connecting Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly benefiting landlocked Sahel countries. However, realizing this potential requires substantial improvements in transport infrastructure and border crossing efficiency.
The study identified five strategic connection areas between the TMC and neighboring regions. Mauritania and Senegal are implementing projects to enhance regional connectivity, though some face implementation delays. The Rosso Bridge project, which includes new access roads and border facilities, exemplifies these efforts. Additional regional connectivity projects include the Dakar-Saint Louis highway in Senegal, the Nouakchott-Boutilimit highway in Mauritania, and the Tidjikja-Gabou road in Mauritania.
Examples of cross-border connectivity actions. Source: CETMO
Other connection projects extending from Maghreb countries to neighboring regions face uncertainty due to political instability. This applies to the Trans-Sahara road extension to Mali (though the Niger section is nearly complete) and Libya’s planned road connections to Egypt, Chad, and Niger, despite existing governmental agreements.
Beyond physical infrastructure, harmonized regulations for customs procedures, technical standards, and transport operations are essential for effective connectivity. Border crossing facilities require both adequate physical infrastructure and streamlined procedures. New or modernized border crossing infrastructure is already planned between Mauritania and Senegal at Rosso, with similar improvements underway at Algeria’s border points and recently completed at Egypt’s Sollum facilities.
Conclusions
The development of the Trans-Maghreb Multimodal Corridor represents a multifaceted initiative with a very large potential for enhancing regional and national integration and economic development. The transformation of the TMC from a functional transport corridor to a comprehensive trade corridor requires coordinated attention across three complementary dimensions: multimodality integration, capillarity expansion, and connectivity with neighboring regions.
While challenges exist, from discontinuities and infrastructure gaps to regulatory harmonization needs, there are also promising opportunities for creating a more integrated network that increasingly provides trade facilitation, wealth creation and socioeconomic development by serving the Maghreb countries and by becoming a strategic connection between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The use, reproduction or dissemination of any fragment, text, image or data from this study requires an appropriate bibliographic citation mentioning the authors and the original source.
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