Bouygues Travaux Publics and Bouygues Maroc (Bymaro) were the successful tenderers for construction of the basic works for the new Tangier port. The first phase of the design-and-build contract was for construction of two breakwaters, dredging, and reclamation fill placement.

Bouygues Travaux Publics' bid was largely successful because of a design alternative put forward in the technical proposal. This involved a breakwater comprising around 40 precast reinforced-concrete caissons in areas where the water is more than 20 metres deep. The new design offered a nearly 18-hectare increase in the area of usable reclamation (cargo handling yard) and a decrease in the environmental impact due to reductions in the project footprint.

It also made the completion time shorter.