New Delhi, April 25 -- Towering over the Moroccan capital's historic cityscape, a $700 million, 55-story skyscraper opened this week in a move that underscores the country's expanding global ambitions.

Named for King Mohammed VI and inspired by a rocket on its launchpad, the 820-foot Mohammed VI Tower will feature a luxury Waldorf Astoria hotel, offices, shops, restaurants and upscale apartments.

Among Africa's tallest skyscrapers, the tower is expected to generate 450 direct jobs and 3,500 indirect ones, Leila Haddaoui, director of development company O Tower, told reporters.

It stands in Sale, the twin city of the capital, Rabat, and was built over eight years with the involvement of more than 2,500 workers from over a dozen countrie...