"A year and a half ago, the country shifted gears and turned to a resource that exists in abundance across the region: the sun," underlined the Newsweek, which is one of the largest weekly magazine in the U.S.

    The magazine recalled HM King Mohammed VI's decision to make the development of alternative energy one of Morocco's "top priorities", putting a legal framework in place to encourage European investment.

    In this regard, the magazine said that Morocco is privileged by its Sahara and geography, noting that "what distinguishes the country from its desert-dwelling neighbors is its close proximity to Spain."

    The two countries, which are connected by an energy transmission line, are separated by less than 16km at some points, the same source underlined, adding that "the line's existence gives Morocco an edge over its neighbors for access to the European market."

    Europe, which has depended for a long time on Middle Eastern oil and Russian natural gas, has begun to look toward Morocco's solar energy for some of its long-term energy needs, the Newsweek underlined, noting that 15% of European energy could be generated by wind and solar-thermal power by 2050.

    The US magazine also noted that Morocco "hopes to invest several billion dollars in solar-thermal power and use the technology to drastically increase its domestic energy production."