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Morocco's business dynasties have made their clearest statement yet on the regional wealth map. Five Moroccan family conglomerates landed on Forbes Middle East's 2026 ranking of the Arab world's 100 most powerful family businesses. That is up from three entries in 2025, and it is not a coincidence.
The upgrade comes in a year when Moroccan business families have been unusually active. A new skyscraper opened. A bank changed hands. And continental expansion is accelerating on multiple fronts.
O Capital Group sits at the top of Morocco's showing, ranked 21st on the Forbes Middle East list. The group was formed in 2021 through the merger of FinanceCom and Holding Benjelloun Mezian. Its chairman is Othman Benjelloun, 93, Morocco's richest man with a Forbes-estimated fortune of $1.7 billion.
The ranking lands months after Benjelloun's most visible project in years opened its doors. The Mohammed VI Tower, a 250-meter, 55-floor skyscraper on the Bouregreg River in Sale, was inaugurated in April 2026 by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan. The $700 million structure now stands as Morocco's tallest building and the third tallest on the African continent. A Waldorf Astoria hotel occupies its upper floors. Alain Ducasse runs a restaurant inside it. The building Benjelloun conceived after watching a NASA rocket launch in 1969 finally lifted off.
O Capital's reach extends well beyond bricks. The group operates across financial services, banking, telecoms, agribusiness, transportation, and media. Its banking arm, Bank of Africa, is present in 32 countries and manages roughly $46 billion in assets.
Holmarcom Group, led by Mohamed Hassan Bensalah, ranked 75th. The group's appetite is clear. In April 2026, a Holmarcom subsidiary agreed to acquire BNP Paribas' majority stake in BMCI, a significant push deeper into Moroccan banking. The International Finance Corporation already acquired an 18.6 percent stake in Holmarcom Finance Company in 2025. The group operates across finance, agribusiness, logistics, and real estate, with strong positions in Senegal, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire.
Addoha Group, the real estate developer chaired by Anas Sefrioui, ranked 83rd. Forbes pegs Sefrioui's fortune at approximately $1.3 billion. Addoha now has over 26,000 housing units under construction, with nearly a third located in West Africa. Diana Holding, led by Rita Maria Zniber, came in at 84th. The group manages 8,300 hectares of agricultural land through more than 30 subsidiaries and employs roughly 7,200 people. YNNA Holding, established in 1948 by the late Miloud Chaabi and now led by Mama Tajmouati, rounded out Morocco's entries at 85th. Its portfolio includes the Aswak Assalam retail chain and several manufacturing brands.
Morocco now ranks fourth on the continent in total billionaire count, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria. But in terms of family business scale and cross-border expansion, 2026 is shaping up as a milestone year.
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