Morocco strengthens its diplomacy to the maximum under the reign of Mohammed VI
Morocco has developed a dynamic and powerful foreign policy over the last 25 years of Mohammed VI's reign.
The Alawi monarch ascended to the throne in July 1999 and is now celebrating 25 years of reign. A period of splendour in which Morocco has grown in many ways, including in international politics.
During this quarter of a century, King Mohammed VI has taken a number of diplomatic initiatives that have strengthened Morocco's international role. Thus, Morocco has harnessed this important international weight for two crucial issues for the Moroccan kingdom: the protection of its territorial integrity through the inclusion of Western Sahara in its project for the country's future, and the Atlantic Africa Initiative.
Western Sahara
A great example of Morocco's strong preeminence on the international stage is the strong support it has gained for its autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
The North African country proposes a formula of broad autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty for Western Sahara, respecting all United Nations (UN) resolutions and highlighting the great work of political dialogue between all parties carried out by Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary General's personal envoy for Western Sahara.
The aim of this initiative is to give the Saharawi authorities considerable room for manoeuvre in terms of self-management of their own administration and to develop the region as much as possible in all areas. In this case, foreign and defence policy is reserved for the Moroccan state. In this way, development in the Moroccan Sahara has to do with an inclusive approach that ensures the active participation of the local population in decision-making. Local and regional elections have shown a high level of participation, with rates exceeding the national average. This active participation reinforces the legitimacy of development projects and ensures that the needs and aspirations of the local population are considered in Moroccan state planning.
Thanks to the intense work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Minister Nasser Bourita and under the guidance of King Mohammed VI, Morocco has won the support of more than 100 countries for its autonomy proposal, which they describe as the ‘most serious, credible and realistic’ way of settling the Sahrawi dispute, which has lasted for more than four decades since Spain's departure from the area as a colonial power.
Among the countries that have shown their strongest support for Morocco on the Saharawi issue are many powers such as the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France and Spain itself. Many of them have even planned consulates in enclaves such as Dakhla and Laayoune, within the so-called southern provinces of Morocco.
The big boost to this proposal came in December 2020, when former US President Donald Trump recognised the Moroccan sovereignty of the Sahara in exchange for Morocco establishing diplomatic ties with Israel, following in the wake of the Abraham Accords, under which several Arab countries such as the Emirates and Bahrain established political relations with the Israeli state in September of that year with the aim of pacifying and developing the Middle East region as much as possible and confronting common enemies that destabilise the region, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the 25 years of Mohammed VI's reign, the Moroccan Sahara has undergone a significant transformation, consolidating itself as a region of progress and stability. Along these lines, the Kingdom of Morocco has implemented a series of initiatives and projects that have substantially improved the quality of life of its inhabitants and strengthened their integration into the national and continental fabric.
Since Morocco's reintegration into the African Union in 2017, special emphasis has been placed on the development of the Sahara. The launch of the new development model for the southern provinces in 2015 marked the beginning of a series of strategic projects aimed at modernising the region and improving the living conditions of its inhabitants.
One of the pillars of comprehensive development in the Sahara has been the improvement of transport infrastructure and connectivity, such as the construction of the Tiznit-Dajla highway. This road not only facilitates trade and mobility within the Sahara, but also connects the region to the rest of the country, improving access to markets and services.
Investment in renewable energy has been another key component of development in the Sahara. The Noor Laayoune and Noor Boujdour solar power plants, along with wind farms in Tarfaya, Foum El Oued and Akhfennir, not only supply sustainable energy to the region, but also position Morocco as a leader in clean energy in Africa. Morocco's stated goal is for renewable energy to account for 52% of the national energy mix by 2050.
These projects have attracted significant investment and generated employment, contributing to economic growth and environmental sustainability in the region.
Along these lines, one of Morocco's main objectives is to attract foreign direct investment by promoting the national territory and providing great opportunities to all international and national investors, in order to encourage the arrival of foreign currency and the proliferation of businesses in the North African country.
In fact, the great driving force behind this planning is the New Moroccan Investment Charter of 2022, which, under the guidelines of King Mohammed VI, provides for state spending of 45 billion euros to modernise the country and promote an attractive industrial and productive fabric for all those interested in investing and doing business in a flourishing market such as Morocco, highlighting the important role of the Regional Investment Centres, such as the one in the north of Morocco in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima. A new Investment Charter that encourages investment and applies attractive tax incentives.
The economic and commercial activity of the southern area will be boosted by the development or modernisation of several major infrastructures, with the port of Dakhla Atlantique as a major exponent. It is hoped that this port will become a logistics hub for international trade, reaching the standards of the great Moroccan and African port of reference, which is already the imposing port of Tangier Med to the north.
In addition to the economic commitment to Western Sahara, there is also a social, health and educational commitment. The aim is to generate a lot of employment in the territory and to develop all kinds of educational and health infrastructures for the population. Morocco's commitment to human development is reflected in the creation of first-rate educational and health infrastructure in the Sahara. The Mohammed VI University in Laayoune and the 500-bed University Hospital Centre are notable examples of this investment. The first medical school in the southern provinces and numerous vocational training centres have significantly improved human development indices, providing the local population with access to high quality education and health care.
Atlantic Initiative
Within the development plan for the Sahara, Morocco also intends to build on this momentum to support the Atlantic Africa Initiative, in which the Moroccan kingdom plays an important role.
King Mohammed VI's vision has provided for the need for several African countries, especially in the impoverished Sahel region, to have access to the Atlantic Ocean in order to improve their economies and increase their commercial exchanges thanks to the open door to the Atlantic that allows them to have relevant connections with America and other points of interest in the world's geography.
King Mohammed VI's proposal to reinforce Morocco's Atlantic coastline from north to south, including the Sahara, seeks to exponentially improve the economic dynamics of the African continent by opening an important gateway for countries that are less favoured in this regard, such as those in the Sahel region.
This project, which aims to provide several African nations with an important maritime outlet, has recently received much attention and praise due to its great potential for building multilateral partnerships and boosting African economic integration.
Morocco's Atlantic Initiative, the key to which is the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, will transform Africa's geostrategic landscape and end the isolation of Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Mali. The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline will have a capacity of approximately 30 billion cubic metres and will be around 6,000 kilometres long. It will cover some 5,600 kilometres on the high seas, plus a further 1,700 kilometres over land. The cost will be around 25,000 million euros. These figures show the scale of the project.