Morocco is investing heavily in its healthcare infrastructure with the advancement of a new medical complex in Dakhla, poised to serve as a regional hub for training and specialized care. The Mohammed VI Foundation for Health Sciences project, announced following November’s African Summit on Health Systems and Health Sovereignty, aims to expand access to advanced medical services and education in North Africa and across the continent. currently 60% complete, the complex will integrate a university, hospital, and research facilities, building upon a network of similar institutions in major Moroccan cities. The initiative reflects a national strategy to strengthen healthcare sovereignty and address critical medical skill gaps.
The complex will mirror similar facilities already established in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, and Agadir, according to Pr Mohamed Adnaoui, President of Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, who spoke at a press conference during the 1st African Summit on Health Systems and Health Sovereignty held in Dakhla from November 28-30.
Currently about 60% complete, the Mohammed VI International University Hospital complex will include a multidisciplinary university, a modern teaching hospital, and a high-tech simulation center. The medical school, already in its second year with a student body, is progressing rapidly, officials said.
The campus is planned to accommodate approximately 1,000 medical students, bringing the total number of students across the Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences to over 10,300, with around 6,000 pursuing medical degrees. The facilities will include three lecture halls, around 30 classrooms and practical training rooms, a library, and a state-of-the-art simulation center.
Alongside the medical school, the Mohammed VI Faculty of Nursing and Health Professions in Dakhla is 75% finished and will welcome 200 students. The faculty will offer advanced training, including master’s programs in oncology, neonatology, emergency medicine, and disaster medicine – programs previously unavailable in Morocco and across Africa. This expansion underscores Morocco’s commitment to bolstering specialized healthcare training.
The Faculty of Engineering at the Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences is also integrating modern technologies into its curriculum. Pre Basma Jiyoudi, the faculty’s academic director, explained, “We are living in a new era where modern technologies, artificial intelligence, and digitization are integrated into medicine.” The faculty currently has over 670 students, with about a third focusing on biomedical engineering. The 6,300-square-meter building houses laboratories, classrooms, and practical workspaces, as well as student life areas. More than 850 of the faculty’s graduates are already working within the Moroccan healthcare system.
The inauguration of the African Academy of Health Sciences adds a strategic dimension to the complex. Pr Jaafar Heikel, affiliated with the Mohammed VI Foundation, described the academy as “a major step” in implementing royal directives related to health sovereignty. The academy aims to unite African expertise to strengthen healthcare systems across the continent, focusing on access to medicines and vaccines, primary healthcare development, prevention, scientific research, infrastructure, and talent development. Heikel emphasized the need for a strategic think tank “driven and inspired by Africa” supported by modern infrastructure for high-level scientific work.
Pr Abdel Samad Azhari, Director General of the Foundation’s Dakhla site, highlighted the future role of the university hospital as a referral center for all the southern provinces of Morocco.
The 300-bed hospital is projected to treat between 200,000 and 250,000 patients annually, including approximately 40,000 emergency cases, offering a full range of specialties and cutting-edge equipment. The Dakhla complex, with its integrated approach to education, care, engineering, and research, represents a significant transformation of Morocco’s healthcare landscape.
