American Concrete Institute and Ministry of Equipment and Water —The Kingdom of Morocco sign MOU to advance concrete knowledge and standards

Maria Juenger, ACI President, and Wafi Naima, Chargée de mission, Direction des Affaires Techniques et des Relations avec la Profession (DATRP), Ministry of Equipment and Water, Morocco, complete the MOU signing during the Fall 2025 ACI Concrete Convention in Baltimore, Md., USA.

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the Ministry of Equipment and Water (Ministère de l’Équipement et de l’Eau) —The Kingdom of Morocco today announced that the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase collaboration and cooperation in advancing concrete knowledge, standards, and best practices. The signing took place during the Fall 2025 ACI Concrete Convention, held in Baltimore, Md., USA, bringing together industry leaders, researchers, and practitioners worldwide.

The agreement, signed by Frederick H. Grubbe, ACI executive vice president, Maria Juenger, ACI president, and Abdelfetah SAHIBI, Secretary General, Ministry of Equipment and Water, establishes a framework for collaboration between ACI and the Ministry, focusing on improving concrete construction by making the technical expertise of each organization available to the other through publications, meetings, conferences, internet links, committee membership, certification activities, and any other activities as mutually agreed.

"We often hear that concrete is the world’s most used building material, which means that we need a global community to shape knowledge and practice. This MOU reflects our shared commitment to improving concrete construction through knowledge exchange and collaboration,” said Juenger. “We are proud to partner with the Ministry of Equipment and Water of the Kingdom of Morocco to support the nation’s infrastructure goals and to encourage the use of ACI’s consensus-based technical resources. We also look forward to leveraging the Ministry’s experience and expertise in ongoing innovation within the construction and building sectors.”

"The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Equipment and Water of the Kingdom of Morocco and the American Concrete Institute marks a major step forward in strengthening technical cooperation and the exchange of expertise in concrete technologies and standards. This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to promoting excellence, innovation, and sustainability in infrastructure development. By collaborating closely with the ACI, Morocco reaffirms its ambition to align its national practices with the most demanding international standards, in line with its strategic vision for resilient and sustainable infrastructure,” said SAHIBI.



Welcome to ACI Morocco 

The ACI representatives, Ahmed Mhenna, Director MENA, and Distinguished Engineer Khaled Nahlawi, recently concluded a productive business visit to Morocco. They engaged with four key entities to strengthen and expand ACI’s partnerships with Moroccan government and professional organizations.

At the Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy in Rabat, the team discussed ongoing collaboration on codes and standards, including ACI code adoption in various regions and the Chapter’s efforts to translate the 318-19 code into French. Conversations focused on how ACI can support the ministry’s initiatives by providing necessary resources to assist their work.

 

In Casablanca, ACI met with LPEE (Le Laboratoire Public d'Essais et d'Etudes), where strong interest was expressed in leveraging ACI resources for emerging materials in Moroccan construction market such as GFRP, FRP, and steel fiber. Certification and standards emerged as promising areas for future collaboration.

 

A detailed meeting with the Ministry of Equipment and Water in Rabat centered on advancing cooperation through the signed MOU, ACI code adoption processes, translation, and licensing. The Ministry and ACI agreed to hold a special session on ACI codes and standards for selected Moroccan stakeholders on October 25, 2026, ahead of the GFRP workshop scheduled in Rabat on October 26, 2026, organized in collaboration with NEx, ACI, and the Ministry.

 

Finally, discussions with AMIB (Moroccan Association of Concrete Industry) in Rabat identified opportunities to increase awareness of the ACI 319 precast code among members and engineers, laying the groundwork for future engagement.

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