How can confidentiality, operational security and sovereignty be guaranteed over the transport of troops, weapons or supplies of vital importance to Spain’s national defense when nearly half of the shareholding in the terminals handling that logistics belongs to Morocco’s public port arm? And if it is not half, it has real-time access to what is loaded and unloaded between the islands.
That is the question hanging over the Gran Canaria government and military headquarters following the entry of state-owned company Marsa Maroc into 45% of Boluda Maritime Terminals (BMT) for €80 million. The deal has been blocked following a complaint filed last January by the Government of Gran Canaria, while concern over what happened in Ceuta in the summer of 2026 is strengthening calls for Boluda Terminales to seek another buyer if it needs funds to expand in Africa. MSC owns 50% of Boluda Towage’s business and is capital from the NATO sphere. But MSC also has interests in Morocco, such as the new Nador West terminal.
A critical network under shared oversight
The deal negotiated from Valencia by Vicente Boluda covers nine key nodes in the state infrastructure serving the Canary Islands: Cádiz, Seville, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. These facilities are not merely points for unloading civilian cargo; they provide the essential logistical support for the deployment of the Armed Forces and the guaranteed supply of the islands.
Sensitive traffic
The movement of defense equipment, supplies and contingents to the Canary Islands or North Africa necessarily passes through these public concessions. The 45% stake allows the Moroccan state partner — through Marsa Maroc International Logistics — access to governance and information systems containing data on volumes, transit times and cargo manifests.
The geopolitics of information
The paradox is clear. While Rabat is rolling out the Marsa 2030 plan to dominate routes between the Mediterranean and the mid-Atlantic, Moroccan state capital is gaining access “right into the heart” of the Canary Island docks of the Kingdom of Spain. Having a company dependent on Rabat sharing control of the terminals creates a vulnerability during periods of geopolitical tension or diplomatic crises.
For this reason, the deal has set off alarm bells and, following the Gran Canaria Island Council’s request for its suspension, is under the direct scrutiny of the Foreign Investment Board, pending a ruling by the Council of Ministers under the state’s anti-takeover shield. Complaints promoted by institutions such as the Gran Canaria Island Council and professional groups in Tenerife argue that this is not a private commercial transaction, but a matter of strict national sovereignty in which commercial efficiency cannot take precedence over state security.
Boluda and the Sovereignty of the Canary Islands: How Can Tactical Equipment Be Moved Through Port Terminals with a Moroccan State-Owned Partner? was first published on canarymaritime.com.
