Morocco has turned its attention to one of Spain’s strategic businesses: the big international defense fair. Rabat is studying expanding its military showcase out to sea, just as Spanish industry has been tentatively proposing an aero-naval fair in Cádiz that has yet to launch. The potential rivalry has a particularly sensitive setting, the Strait of Gibraltar, and a purpose that goes beyond a show of arms: to attract the world’s defense giants and get them to invest in their own region.
Morocco takes a step. As revealed by Escudo Digital Media this week, citing industry sources involved in the project, Morocco is working on the possibility of expanding the Marrakech Airshow towards the coast to include displays of ships, naval systems and military technology.
The locations studied will be Alcazar Seguirre, near Tangier and the Straits of Gibraltar and Casablanca. The initiative could rely on American and Israeli technology, two of Rabat’s fundamental partners. That said, there has been no official public confirmation of the naval expansion for now, and its scope, schedule and location remain undetermined.
A showcase that already works. Morocco is part of an integrated fair. The eighth edition of the Marrakech Airshow, held from October 7 to 10, 2026, brought together nearly 200 exhibitors and more than 60 official delegations from 27 countries. This is not trivial and indeed, participants included players like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus, Safran, Thales, Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems.
According to Morocco’s Ministry of Industry, the meeting allowed the closing of 26 strategic contracts. Plus: The presence of American and Israeli manufacturers reflects Morocco’s growing weight as an arms buyer and its intention to become a military production and maintenance center.
Business behind it. Rabat is building its own defense industry through technology transfer agreements, foreign investment and local production. According to SIPRI data for 2021-2025, the United States supplied about 60% of the major arms imported by Morocco, Israel 24% and France 10%.
The country has promoted contracts with military industrial zones and foreign manufacturers to develop aeronautical maintenance capabilities, component manufacturing and drone manufacturing. In this context, expanding its fair to the naval sector allows it to attract new suppliers, negotiate contracts and strengthen its position as a defense industry platform for Africa.
There is a giant in Madrid, Spain. On the other side of the pavement, the Spanish international defense and security fair, FEINDEF, is preparing a record edition from May 18 to 20, 2027 at IFEMA. Its organizers announced a surface area of 89,100 square meters, 46% more than in 2025, hired more than 746 exhibiting companies and reserved 94% of marketable space.
Since its first edition in 2019, the show has grown from 134 exhibitors to close to 800. Its main limitation for some exhibitions is geographical: Madrid allows international builders and delegations to assemble, while exhibitions with ships, amphibious operations or sailing aircraft require specific maritime facilities.
Cádiz’s pending opportunities. Because Spanish industry has been studying for some time an aero-naval fair that complements FEINDEF and takes advantage of the facilities of Navantia, Airbus and Rota naval bases. As suggested by Escudo Digital, the project includes the display of warships, helicopters, drones and amphibious operations in the Gulf of Cádiz, with a possible celebration in even-numbered years as an alternative to FEINDEF.
Even the names Rota Naval and Air Show or Aero-Naval Defense Show Southern Europe have been considered. In any case, the proposal remains in the conceptual stage without a confirmed call, while the potential Moroccan initiative creates a competition to attract manufacturers and representatives interested in the naval and aerospace markets.
A rivalry across the straits. The rivalry between the two countries may shift to a sector where international visibility helps in securing investment, industrial contracts and export contracts. Spain brings together manufacturers such as Navantia and Airbus, an extensive common fair and a strategic naval infrastructure in Cádiz.
Morocco, for its part, has an international air show and is trying to expand its military industrial base. Therefore, the simple possibility of Rabat taking this showcase to the sea suggests that its implementation is able to determine that the strait will also eventually become the scene of a new competition for global business that is no less than the defense of billions of euros.
Picture | Navy, Gaspar Serrano
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