In 2007 the twin cities of Rabat and Salé in Morocco were connected with a tramline, which was operated by the Société du Tramway de Rabat Salé (STRS). The tram services about 110,000 passengers and provides more than 32 million trips a year. The tram operator employs 312 staff to run 22 trams. It recovers over 96% of the operational costs from ticket sales alone.

The Rabat-Salé Tramway changed people's perception on public transport. According to a poll 77% of respondents reported that public transport is affordable. The tram is widely viewed as a success and was expanded to serve additional routes into the city and its surrounding areas

The Rabat and Salé municipalities are struggling to densify the cities to lower transport requirements and allow for effective public transport. An unsatisfactory bus system in the past encouraged the growth of the informal transport sector, which will remain there until there is a successful modern transportation system. That requires more than a tramway. However, the tramway is a good example of public transport infrastructure which can exist and expand next to an informal transport system.

Key enablers for the Rabat-Salé Tramway were a combination of political will, financing and operational tools such as public private partnerships which came together to create a viable opportunity for large-scale investment in transport. The financing for the tram is a fifty-fifty combination of government funding and international development loans. Repayment started five to seven years after the start of construction and the loans have a term of 20 to 25 years.

Another success factor was the 30-years concession agreement with Transdev from France to operate the tram system. Enacted in 2011, the contract gave Transdev the responsibility to operate the tram, from ticket sales to wagon maintenance, but also required Transdev to provide training. Already in 2017 local engineers developed a strong sense of ownership over the tramline and the rolling stock, part of which is assembled in Morocco.