How Argan Studios Became Part of Morocco’s Global Film Ambition

Producer Khadija Alami has experienced that growth from inside the industry, working on major productions including Homeland, Prison Break and Captain Phillips. Now, with Argan Studios, she is building infrastructure designed to help Morocco capture more of what happens behind those productions.

Building from experience

Alami’s investment in film infrastructure began well before Argan. In 2017, she opened Oasis Studios near Ouarzazate, creating a facility where international productions could work with Moroccan crews across more of the production process. At the time, she described growing demand from Hollywood and Arab productions as part of the reason for investing in the studio.

Years spent producing international projects also gave her a clear view of Morocco’s strengths and its remaining gaps. While the country could offer experienced crews, diverse locations and a well-established production industry, large indoor shoots could still require productions to look elsewhere.

Homeland helped demonstrate what could change when the right space was available. After earlier seasons spent shorter periods shooting on location in Morocco, Alami found large hangars in Casablanca that allowed the eighth season to remain in the country throughout an 11-month production. Keeping more of a project in Morocco meant keeping more of the work surrounding it there too.

From studios to an ecosystem

Argan Studios takes that thinking considerably further. Planned between Rabat and Casablanca, the project is designed to bring large sound stages together with post-production facilities, a training campus, accommodation and professional services, allowing productions to complete more of their work within Morocco.

Location is part of the strategy. Proximity to Casablanca and Rabat gives international crews access to airports, services, healthcare and the infrastructure needed to support months-long productions, while complementing established filming centres such as Ouarzazate.

The ambition is therefore connected to a much larger value chain. Productions create work for technicians and creative professionals, but they also generate demand across transport, hospitality, catering and other local businesses. Training those professionals alongside the studios could deepen the pool of Moroccan talent available for future projects, creating a cycle where infrastructure attracts productions and productions strengthen the industry around them.

Building Morocco’s place in global film

Interest from Netflix, Prime Video and Disney suggests the opportunity Alami is building towards. Morocco already has the locations, production experience and international reputation; Argan Studios is an attempt to strengthen the infrastructure that can turn those advantages into a more complete production ecosystem.

For Alami, the two sides of that ambition are closely connected: attracting more international productions creates more opportunities for Moroccan talent, while stronger local skills make Morocco more competitive as a production destination.

Argan Studios is the latest step in a career spent working at that intersection. From producing global projects in Morocco to investing in Oasis Studios and now developing a much larger production ecosystem, Alami has progressively built around what the industry needs to grow.

Her journey captures the BUILDERS story behind Morocco’s film ambitions. Global storytelling may bring productions to the country, but people like Khadija Alami are building the infrastructure, skills and capacity that can encourage them to stay longer, spend more and leave something behind.

Sources :

AramcoWorld, “Morocco’s Cinema City”
Médias24, « Cinéma : Khadija Alami sort du silence et détaille les contours de sa future cité pour attirer Hollywood près de Rabat »
Le Monde, “Morocco unveils plans for giant film city on outskirts of Rabat”