From Carthaginian trading post to a strategic Cold War naval outpost

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Long before it became a Moroccan industrial hub, Kenitra served as a vital piece in the global chess game of the 20th century. Once a US Naval Air Station, this Atlantic port has transitioned from a colonial military fort to a critical artery for Morocco's water security.

The origins of Kenitra trace back to the Carthaginian explorer Hanno, who founded a trading post known as Thamusida. Centuries later, the city's modern identity was shaped by colonial ambitions. In 1912, French Resident General Hubert Lyautey established Port Lyautey as a military fort to utilize the Atlantic coast, which lacked natural harbors. By 1913, the port at the mouth of the Sebou River was operational, quickly becoming Morocco's premier river port.

During the mid-20th century, the city became a significant theater for international military presence. Following Operation Torch in November 1942, American forces captured the French fighter base, renaming it Craw Field. By the 1950s, the site had expanded into a major U.S. Naval Air Station, hosting nearly 10,000 Americans—the largest overseas US military aggregation outside of Japan at the time. This strategic importance persisted through the Cold War, with the base shared between the US and Morocco until the Air Station closed in 1991.

Today, Kenitra is a vital industrial and logistics center, but it faces modern ecological and infrastructural challenges. While the city serves as a shipping hub for timber, fish, and minerals, it struggles with 'black dust' pollution from local power plants and landfills. Simultaneously, the region is pioneering massive engineering feats like the $728 million 'Water Highway.' Inaugurated in August 2024, this project uses a 67-kilometer underground canal to divert surplus water from the Sebou River to prevent drinking water crises for 12 million people in the surrounding regions.

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