Work has formally started on a new bus station in Kenitra that Moroccan officials are billing as the prototype for a fresh generation of transport hubs to be rolled out nationwide.
Abdessamad Kayouh, the minister of transport and logistics, inaugurated the construction on Thursday at a ceremony that drew Kenitra Governor Abdelhamid El Mazid, National Transport and Logistics Company chief executive Hassan Oubaha, and an array of local officials and project partners.
Spanning a four-hectare plot, the facility is being delivered jointly by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the National Transport and Logistics Company, the Ministry of the Interior, and additional partners. Its location, close to both the motorway and Kenitra’s train station, is meant to knit together different modes of transport and ease movement around the city.
Kayouh described the project as the opening entry in a planned network of modern bus terminals destined for Morocco’s larger cities, those with expanding populations and busy economies. The station is designed to provide a full suite of passenger services while smoothing the transfer of travelers between buses, trains, and other options.
Architect Aïcha Amrani said the design reaches beyond mere transport, seeking to deliver a public space for travelers and nearby residents alike. The concept takes the circle as its organizing motif, a shape meant to evoke journeys, orientation, and destinations while shaping the building’s overall plan.
Architect Mohamed Fikri Benabdallah added that the goal is to bring bus stations up to the standard already set by Morocco’s airports and rail terminals, especially when it comes to welcoming passengers, ensuring safety, and providing comfort.
A signature element of the project will be its underground bus platforms, a decision aimed at cutting visual clutter and helping the station blend into its urban surroundings. The structure will pair glass elements, landscaped zones, and lightweight architectural features to draw in natural light and cool the building passively. Echoing the recently built terminals in Rabat and Tangier, the Kenitra station will feature electronic ticketing, retail outlets, and green spaces intended to make the experience more comfortable and movement through the building easier.
The launch follows plans unveiled earlier this month for a national digital platform to oversee bus stations, automate ticketing and day-to-day operations, upgrade passenger services, and link transport operators through a single centralized system. The transport ministry has also rolled out its 2026 Safe Bus Program and a Vehicle Fleet Renewal Program, both aimed at making road transport across the country safer and more modern.
