How Mohamed Rabie Khlie is leading the railway sector towards the 2030 World Cup challenges

A long journey in modernizing the Moroccan railway network

Under the leadership of the 63-year-old engineer, the National Railways Office (ONCF) has managed to make significant strides in modernizing and expanding the Kingdom’s rail network. Recent years have seen remarkable achievements that have helped bridge distances and improve the quality of services provided to passengers across various train lines.

These developments come as the institution continues to prepare for several major future commitments, particularly the challenge of supporting preparations for hosting the 2030 World Cup, which places railway infrastructure at the forefront of national development priorities.

Financial and structural challenges

Despite the successes recorded in expanding the network, data regarding the institution’s performance points to constraints, mainly represented by a fragile financial balance, in addition to some delays in the institutional transformation path of the Office into a joint-stock company.

These financial and structural files remain the subject of ongoing debate on how to achieve a balance between the requirements for constant modernization of trains and infrastructure, and ensuring the financial sustainability of the institution in light of upcoming sports and development goals.