{"id":4406,"date":"2026-05-30T16:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T16:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/?p=4406"},"modified":"2026-05-30T16:10:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T16:10:29","slug":"4406-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/4406-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The silent fertilizer war: Saudi Arabia is building a new phosphate empire\u2026 is the era of Moroccan dominance approaching its breaking point?"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Samir to phosphate: when Moroccan wealth becomes a variable in a ruthless global energy equation<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In the global economy, no resource is ever truly \u201csilent.\u201d Even materials buried deep underground eventually become part of a vast system where energy, logistics, industry, and international power relations intersect. Within this system, Morocco holds a strategic position through its phosphate reserves, while the global energy landscape remains largely shaped by major oil powers, particularly in the Gulf.<\/p>\n

But the real question today is no longer about abundance \u2014 it is about fragility within strength itself: is Moroccan phosphate still an independent source of power, or has it become a variable inside a global energy system it does not control?<\/p>\n

Phosphate is not the problem\u2026 but what surrounds it is<\/p>\n

The basic facts are clear: Morocco has not stopped exporting phosphate. Through the OCP Group, it continues to play a central role in the global fertilizers and phosphate derivatives market.<\/p>\n

However, the industrial reality goes far beyond export volumes. The key issue lies in processing costs, the energy intensity of chemical transformation, and above all, one often invisible element: sulfur.<\/p>\n

Sulfur, used in the production of sulfuric acid, is a critical component in fertilizer manufacturing. A significant share of it comes as a by-product of oil and gas refining. This creates an indirect but powerful link between phosphate production and global energy markets.<\/p>\n

In other words: when energy markets move, they do not only affect fuel prices \u2014 they reshape the cost structure of fertilizer production itself.<\/p>\n

Energy as an indirect pressure factor<\/p>\n

In recent months, some interpretations have tried to link global energy fluctuations to disruptions in phosphate supply chains. While some narratives have exaggerated claims of \u201cshutdowns\u201d or \u201cblockages,\u201d a more subtle reality remains: markets do not stop \u2014 they adjust.<\/p>\n

Rising energy prices lead to:<\/p>\n