Dajla se convierte en un polo económico e infraestructural

Dakhla, in the west of Western Sahara, is one of the regions with the most favourable conditions for economic investment, something that has not gone unnoticed by the most important companies in the sector. Morocco has been working for some time to turn Dakhla into one of the most important economic centres in North Africa, and it seems that it may be close to achieving this goal. There are many projects that aim to turn the region into one of the most important points of connection between Morocco, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, with the Atlantic port of Dakhla as a fundamental pillar.

It is precisely the port project that will benefit most from the injection of capital intended to boost development. Just over 12 billion Moroccan dirhams - approximately 1.1 billion euros - would be allocated to the port. The port is located some 40 kilometres north of the city of Dakhla, and is supported by a 1,650 hectare industrial zone. It is currently a trading and fishing zone, which is to be developed into a competitive and self-sustainable platform to attract foreign investment

Although it is the priority, the Atlantic port is not the only project the Alaouite kingdom is working on in Dakhla. What are expected to be the future distribution and trade areas in Guerguerat and Bir Kunduz, the Tiznit-Dajla road and the linking of the city of Dakhla to the national electricity grid are some of the initiatives to be implemented. Moreover, the road linking Tiznit to Dakhla has long been upgraded thanks to an investment of 10 billion dirhams (950 million euros).

In February this year, the head of works at the provisional directorate in charge of developing the national road, Yassine Zitoune, indicated that the rate of progress of this project between Tiznit and Laayoune - located halfway between Dakhla and Tiznit - had exceeded 41%. Once completed, the new road is expected to facilitate the creation of an economic hub linking Mauritania, Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to create as many alternatives as possible to boost trade and commerce both within the country and for foreign investors.

It is expected that external investors will drive another of the region's most ambitious projects, the Dakhla Smart City, which is part of a new generation of urban initiatives based on sustainable development and a completely renewed urban transport network. The project will cover 275 hectares and will be jointly financed by the public and private sector - real estate developers affiliated to the economic interest group (EIG).

Dakhla is a region in which the Moroccan government has high hopes, as it has been demonstrating in recent months. It should not be forgotten that it was in this location that Morocco received the ambassadors of the Gulf countries at the end of June of this year, in an attempt to attract new investors to the region. The importance of Dakhla is fundamental given that it occupies approximately 20% of the kingdom's entire territory, has a GDP per capita that is double the national average and is responsible for 2% of the national GDP, figures that place Dakhla at the forefront of the Moroccan economy.