The Atlantic Port of Dakhla leads the major port reforms in Morocco

In accordance with the royal instructions concerning the development of the southern provinces, Morocco has launched the emblematic port of Dakhla which is part of the major national works being undertaken by the country to consolidate its port infrastructure by 2030.

Alongside the port of Tangier-Med which today occupies the fourth place in the world ranking of 348 ports and the first position in Africa, the Atlantic port of Dakhla and the port of Nador West Med will contribute to reinforcing the orientation of the Kingdom towards the development of its ten ports and dynamising their activities; improving economic integration via their key points of continental and international trade, whether on the Mediterranean or Atlantic coast.

In this context, King Mohamed VI stressed in his speeches "the importance of continuing efforts to develop a real maritime economy in these provinces, likely to become a bridge and a link between Morocco and its African depths, due to its land and maritime resources".

The Dakhla Atlantic Port megaproject will play a strategic role for West Africa on the one hand and the southern provinces on the other hand, positively affecting the Dakhla-Rio d'Oro region. This will support the economic, social and industrial development of the area, in all its productive sectors such as fishing, agriculture, mining, energy, tourism, trade, and other different industries; as well as allowing the region to have a modern and prosperous logistic tool to benefit from the future opportunities opened up by the maritime transport sector on an international scale.

These works are considered of utmost importance for the economic development of the Kingdom, which is preparing to host the 2030 World Cup along with Spain and Portugal. Morocco is therefore constantly launching programmes and strategies in the short and medium term to ensure that the country is the best connected not only by sea, but also by air.

The emblematic PAD extends over an area of 1,650 hectares, and a staff of 1,400 employees, including executives and workers, are working day and night to complete the gigantic port project on schedule, in accordance with the agreement signed in the presence of the Moroccan monarch in February 2016.  It should be noted that 75% of the project's employees, both operators and managers, reside in the area, with all amenities at their disposal, such as medical services, mosque, sports fields, dormitories and even restaurants and shops. 

The Atlantic Port of Dakhla will have several connectivity infrastructures, including a sea access bridge, a 7 km road connecting the port to the N1 national road, a commercial basin with an oil station, a coastal and deep sea fishing basin to facilitate traffic estimated at one million tonnes of maritime products, and a ship repair basin.

The project is a deep water port with three elements: a commercial basin with 30 hectares of embankments, a coastal and deep sea fishing basin of 28.8 hectares, and a ship repair basin of 2,018.6 hectares.

It should be noted that this project is located in the village of Ntireft, 40 km north of Dakhla, which belongs to the rural municipality of El Argoub. It will be carried out by the Moroccan group SGTM and Somagec Sud for a total amount of 12.4 million dirhams and a work pace that prioritises completion by the end of 2028.

The first terminals of the port of Dakhla are expected to be operational in 2029, according to the Directorate of ports and public maritime domains in Morocco. This will improve connectivity and raise great expectations at both regional and continental level; boosting the economy of the southern territories of the Kingdom towards an opening to the world that will open up horizons of development in the region. 

Based on its successful experience of the Tangier Med project, Morocco has implemented its plan for the development of its 10 ports, of which the Atlantic Port of Dakhla and that of Nador West Med stand out.

Scheduled for completion in 2024, the port of Nador West Med will have, in terms of annual capacity, a strong infrastructure enabling it to handle 3 million containers, 25 million tonnes of hydrocarbons, 7 million tonnes of coal, in addition to 3 million tonnes of miscellaneous goods.

In parallel with the port infrastructure, industrial, logistical and service zones will be established in the free zone adjacent to the NWM Port and in the development zone, which will be open to foreign investment.

The first port module to be realised in the port of Nador will include a main dock of nearly 4,200 m and a counter dock of 1,200 m, a container terminal with a quay of 1,520 m, a depth of 18 m and an embankment of 76 hectares.

Thanks to these giant port projects, Morocco will reinforce its maritime infrastructure to consolidate its strategic position on the international trade map, which is in line with the real vision of connecting with Europe on the one hand and with the African continent on the other, without losing sight of its openness to the other countries of the world in economic and commercial terms.