More than 2.74 million Moroccans living abroad have entered Morocco since the launch of the “Marhaba 2026” operation, with the figure reaching 2,741,570 people as of August 3, an increase of 0.45% compared with the same period last year, according to data from the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity.
Omar Moussa Abdallah, the Foundation’s projects manager and supervisor of the “Marhaba” operation, said that 2,741,570 members of the Moroccan community abroad had entered the Kingdom since the operation began.
The number of vehicles entering Morocco by August 3 stood at 287,518, representing a 12.43% decrease compared with the same date in 2025. The official attributed the decline partly to the growing use of shared car travel, amid higher costs associated with travelling in private vehicles.
Meanwhile, maritime arrivals accelerated in recent days. A total of 1,430,811 people had entered Morocco by sea as of August 3, accounting for 52.19% of all arrivals recorded since the beginning of the operation.
Tanger Med Port played a central role in these flows, receiving 512,693 people, equivalent to 57.50% of all Moroccans living abroad who arrived by sea. It was followed by Nador Port with 200,013 arrivals and Tangier City Port with 168,240.
As for air travel, the number of Moroccan residents abroad who entered the Kingdom through airports reached 1,310,759. Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca ranked first with 333,490 arrivals, followed by Marrakech-Menara Airport with 225,086 and Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport with 167,147. Nador and Rabat-Salé airports received 119,487 and 119,452 people, respectively.
Regarding the first phase of the “Marhaba 2026” operation, Omar Moussa Abdallah highlighted the continued mobilization of all relevant stakeholders to ensure the best possible transit and travel conditions for Moroccans living abroad who are visiting their families and spending their holidays in Morocco.
Jaafar Amayar, Central Director of Tanger Med Port, said that the latest days coincided with the peak period. On August 2, the port recorded a daily record by receiving 31,917 people and 8,612 vehicles, representing increases of 4% and 5%, respectively, compared with August 2, 2025.
Despite the heavy traffic, the average time needed for passengers to leave the port did not exceed 15 minutes, thanks to the efforts of the National Security services and Customs Administration.
The maritime fleet operating between the two shores of the Strait of Gibraltar was also reinforced through the deployment of an additional fast ferry, while an interchangeable ticket system between different maritime transport companies was activated.
For the return phase, a confirmed-ticket system specifying a precise departure date and time will be introduced to improve the management of flows of Moroccan residents abroad returning to their countries of residence.
Moroccans living abroad have therefore been urged to plan their return journeys in advance, make sure their tickets include a specific departure date and time, and check transit requirements in order to reduce waiting times at ports and ensure smoother passenger flows.