In implementation of the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), the African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS-2026) is being held in Rabat from July 20 to 24.
Organized by the Royal Navy, in partnership with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVAF) and U.S. Marine Forces Europe and Africa (MARFORAF), the Summit is a privileged forum for discussions on maritime security challenges and for strengthening regional cooperation between African leaders and their U.S. counterparts, according to a statement from the FAR General Staff.
The proceedings are structured around three main pillars: maritime security, regional cooperation, and technological innovation, the same source adds.
In addition to African countries, this major international event brings together civilian and military officials from the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America, as well as representatives from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Republic of Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, France, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Norway, Oman, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Türkiye.
The opening ceremony is co-chaired, on the Moroccan side, by Rear Admiral Mohamed Tahin, Inspector of the Royal Navy, and Colonel-Major Abdellah Athmani, Chief of the 2nd Bureau of the FAR General Staff, and, on the U.S. side, by Admiral Georges Wikoff, NAVAF Commander, and Major General Daniel L. Shipley, Commander of MARFORAF.
The Summit's program features several conferences and presentations delivered by experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, focusing in particular on the Royal Atlantic Initiative, as well as by specialists from the Royal Navy.
The presentations address a wide range of topics, including coordination in the fields of hydrography, oceanography, and cartography; developments in the standards of the International Hydrographic Organization; the role of Regional Hydrographic Commissions; regional coordination of maritime search and rescue operations; and maritime domain awareness and surveillance.
On the sidelines of the Summit, a maritime security exhibition will be held on July 21, featuring institutional exhibition booths hosted by the Royal Gendarmerie, the Royal Navy, the State Secretariat in charge of Maritime Fisheries, the Directorate of Ports and the Maritime Public Domain, the National Directorate of Meteorology, the National Ports Agency, the National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture, the National Institute for Fisheries Research, the National Maritime Coordination and Rescue Center, as well as the Tanger Med, Nador West Med, and Dakhla Atlantique port Complexes.
MAP: 21 July 2026
