Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch affirmed on Monday, during his remarks before the House of Representatives on the general policy related to development and investment in the southern provinces of the Kingdom, that Morocco is experiencing a “historic moment” in the Moroccan Sahara issue, thanks to a wise and continuous royal vision for more than a quarter of a century, which has “resulted in increasing recognition from the international community of the Moroccan Sahara, and the consolidation of a field reality based on comprehensive development and productive investment.”

The same official explained that the Kingdom has moved from the stage of defending legitimacy to the stage of consolidating sovereignty through tangible development work, so that the southern regions have become “a model of spatial justice, territorial equity, and equal opportunities.”

strategic bet

Akhannouch explained that structured investment is the cornerstone of the new development model for the southern regions, considering that major projects are not just infrastructure, but rather “an economic and social lever that makes the Moroccan Sahara a hub for balanced development.”

At the forefront of these projects is the Tiznit-Dakhla highway project, which the Prime Minister described as an “economic and strategic artery” linking the south to the center, contributing to boosting trade and tourism and bringing the regions closer together, adding that it “places the southern regions at the heart of the national dynamic instead of on the margins.”

Akhannouch also mentioned the Dakhla Atlantic Port project, which he described as “a major maritime gateway to the African interior,” that will contribute to creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs and give a strong boost to the maritime fishing, logistics and manufacturing sectors, noting that the new port will enhance the region’s attractiveness to national and international investment and will enable Morocco to be strategically positioned in African and global value chains.

In the maritime field, the same official highlighted the blue economy as a pillar of development in the Sahara, through “the establishment of modern ports, the promotion of aquaculture, and the investment of more than one billion dirhams in 240 marine farms in Dakhla, providing more than 11,000 jobs.”

Speaking about environmental challenges, the Prime Minister stressed that the issue of water occupies a pivotal position in the state’s strategy, especially in the southern regions with a desert nature, and added: “The government has initiated, under the high royal directives, an integrated program for seawater desalination and long-term water resource management, which concerns the three southern regions.”

The spokesperson elaborated, saying: “The seawater desalination plant in Dakhla is one of the largest projects in Morocco, producing more than 37 million cubic meters annually, of which 30 million cubic meters are allocated for irrigation in an irrigated area of 5,200 hectares.

The project will enable the production of 500,000 tons of vegetables annually, generating added value exceeding one billion dirhams and creating 25,000 permanent jobs. The Laayoune desalination plant (which entered service in 2022 with a capacity of 300 liters per second) is currently undergoing expansion to meet the needs of Laayoune and its surrounding areas, in coordination with the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water.

Akhannouch also mentioned the Guelmim station, which “will be put into operation in 2027 at a cost exceeding one billion dirhams in its first phase (230 liters/second), to secure the supply of water to the cities and centers of the Guelmim and Assa-Zag regions,” speaking about the Sidi Ifni station, which is under construction, with a capacity of 100 liters/second and a cost of 370 million dirhams, “to meet the region’s needs for drinking water.”

The Prime Minister drew the attention of the deputies to “the integration and convergence of these projects with the policy of building major dams, most notably the ‘Fask’ dam in the Guelmim region, whose reservoir capacity reached 80 million cubic meters, in addition to expanding the electrical interconnection networks to ensure the sustainability of supplying rural areas and production units.”

National mobilization

The Prime Minister stressed that the structural projects are proof that the southern regions “have become a laboratory for the new Moroccan development model, based on the integration of the national and African dimensions, and on placing the human being at the heart of development.” He concluded that “the path is clear, the vision exists, and the gains are many,” adding that “Morocco has chosen work, construction, dialogue, and listening, instead of argument and stagnation.”

In concluding his remarks, the head of the government agency called for “continuing the national mobilization behind His Majesty King Mohammed VI in order to win the bets after the recent UN resolution (the post-October 31 phase), and to strengthen the development path in the Moroccan Sahara so that our southern provinces remain an African driving force in the fields of the sea, clean energy, logistics, and sustainable tourism.”