Advanced Regionalization and Public Sport Policy in Morocco: An Analysis of the Fès-Meknès Region

Since the launch of Morocco’s advanced regionalization process, enshrined in the 2011 Constitution, the role of regions in designing and implementing sectoral public policies has become a research subject in its own right. The sport sector, which public authorities regard as a lever for human development, social inclusion and territorial cohesion, is no exception. This study analyzes the role of the Fès-Meknès region in the development of territorial sport policy. It adopts a qualitative approach that combines documentary analysis, field observation and interviews with regional and ministerial officials, and uses a SWOT analysis to highlight the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that shape the development of sport in the region. The findings reveal a marked imbalance between a favorable natural and geographic potential and a territorial governance of sport that remains poorly structured, with little coordination between public and private actors and sport facilities concentrated in a few cities. The study concludes by proposing a set of operational measures to strengthen the territorial anchoring of regional sport policy, so that Morocco’s regions can effectively take ownership of their sport competencies.