Casablanca – Casablanca strengthened its position as Morocco’s leading financial hub in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), ranking 49th worldwide and retaining its place as the top financial center in Africa.
While its overall rating slipped slightly by three points to 700 in a broader global downturn, the city climbed seven places from its previous ranking of 56th.
The new March 2026 edition of the index, published by Z/Yen and the China Development Institute, showed that ratings fell across almost all financial centers globally, with the average score down 1.82%.
Casablanca’s rise in the rankings stands out against that backdrop, especially within the Middle East and Africa region, where it placed fourth behind Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. More importantly for Morocco, it remained the highest-ranked city on the continent, ahead of Johannesburg, which rose to 80th place.
For Morocco, the result reinforces Casablanca’s growing role as a gateway between African and international capital markets. The city’s performance comes as the country continues to push Casablanca Finance City as a regional platform for banking, insurance, fintech, and cross-border investment into West and Central Africa.
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The report also points to Casablanca’s rising visibility in future growth prospects. When survey respondents were asked which financial centers are likely to grow in significance over the next two to three years, Casablanca made the global top 15 with 23 mentions.
It ranked alongside cities such as Dubai, Singapore, Riyadh, Astana, and Mauritius, a sign that Morocco’s financial capital is increasingly being seen as a city with upward momentum rather than just an established regional player.
That sense of momentum also appeared in the fintech segment. Casablanca was among the cities that improved by 20 or more places in the fintech rankings, putting Morocco’s efforts in digital finance and startup ecosystems further on the radar of global investors and industry professionals.
The broader regional picture remains competitive. Dubai entered the global top 10 at seventh place, while Doha made one of the sharpest jumps, rising 14 places to 48th. Still, Casablanca’s steady progress matters for Morocco’s economic positioning, especially as Rabat and Casablanca continue to market the country as a stable bridge linking Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Even with a slight drop in score, the higher ranking suggests Casablanca is gaining ground faster than many rival centers. For Morocco, that is the bigger story.
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