Morocco's Green March on Western Sahara: 49 Years of History and Development

On a day like today in 1975, more than 350,000 people, in response to the call of Morocco's late King Hassan II, began a peaceful march to reclaim their sovereignty over Western Sahara. Since then, and after 49 years of progress, the Royal House and successive Moroccan governments have laid the foundations for what the region is today: a focus for investment and development. 

Morocco's Western Sahara is today a thriving, developing region. The Green March not only marked the serene and vindictive sentiment of the Alawi people, but also initiated the path of investment and integration of the region into the national territory. However, inequality and the arrival of sub-Saharan immigrants continue to cause serious problems of tension and insecurity. 

Atlantic front

Since the adoption of the ‘Development Plan for the Southern Provinces in 2015’, the Sahara's economic transformation has been on an upward trend, and has reached its peak with the Atlantic Frontage programme, the plan that will also revolutionise the economies of the countries of the African Atlantic coast and the Sahel.

Security and investment are the two pillars of the programme announced by Morocco's King Mohammed VI, which has at its core the elevation of Western Sahara as the gateway for African countries to Europe and basing relations on South-South cooperation with the West through dialogue and investment. 

The Atlantic Front is perceived by the 23 countries of Africa's Atlantic coast as an opportunity to boost the economy, encourage foreign investment and use the Sahara's ports to trade Sahelian products, which would be provided with an outlet to the Atlantic. 

Given that the economies of these 20 or so countries account for 57% of the continent's free trade and attract 60% of foreign investment, the direct cooperation proposed by the Alawi country will be one of the most important steps in the continent's economic history. 

Economic transformation

Infrastructure, basic facilities and opportunities have forged the pillars of a region that enjoys increasing power and influence within the country. More than 77 billion dirhams are to blame for the fact that today the Sahara region is the country's main energy engine. 

The Moroccan government prioritised the promotion of the region through the establishment of modern infrastructure such as roads, ports and airports. To create a prosperous and self-sufficient region, the Alawi administration has encouraged private investment to diversify the economy. 

The last 49 years have been a busy time. Leaders in green energy production, the Sahara region has set the pace for Morocco's progress since the first investments. As a result, the population has increased fivefold, transforming Laayoune, the region's capital, and Dakhla, the former Villa Cisneros, into major urban, industrial and tourist centres. 

Morocco and the Mediterranean countries are the biggest beneficiaries of the serious developments that are paralysing the Strait of Hormuz. Together with the port of Tanger Med and Nador West Med, the new port of Dakhla will take up the vast majority of the region's maritime traffic. The new port of Dakhla will play a strategic role for the Western region of the African continent with the most modern infrastructures in terms of access and port infrastructure.

Renewable energies

The geographical position of Western Sahara is exceptional. With more than 5,000 hours of sunlight per year, the area's solar potential is among the highest in the world. These characteristics make the region not only a focus of electricity production for the country, but also make it an energy hub for the entire African continent. Proof of this is that more than 50% of Morocco's energy projects are being developed in the Western Sahara region. 

Some of the main projects include the Tarfaya wind farm, large solar farms, and green hydrogen centres which, by 2030, are expected to supply 52% of the country's energy needs. All of this will be supported by an investment of 23 billion dollars for the period 2023-2027, approved by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development together with the central government. With a solid solar and wind infrastructure in place, the Ministry aims to make the projections for green hydrogen equally relevant. 

Tourism and agriculture

After 9 years of implementation of the Development Plan, progress is remarkable, not only in energy. Tourism has been a major beneficiary of the investments. With its more than 300 kilometres of coastline and large coastal towns such as Dakhla, the Sahara region has put itself on the map, especially for sports enthusiasts, especially surfers. 

In 2023 alone, 135 new hotel units were inaugurated, joining the more than 150 chains operating in the country. A gradual growth over the last decade, which has been consolidated with an annual improvement in the figures. 

Only behind energy and tourism, agriculture has managed to adapt to totally adverse climatic conditions. Arid soils and water scarcity are the main stumbling blocks the sector has had to face. However, the government's adaptation through water transfers, the construction of desalination plants and investments in irrigation techniques have enabled agriculture to thrive, especially vegetable growing.

Advances in agricultural techniques and the signing of free trade contracts have also led to a breakthrough in Moroccan agriculture, especially in the Sahara. Supported by the government's Plan Green Morocco and Green Generation programmes, agricultural exports in the Sahara are the third largest economic force in the area. In addition to energy projects, agriculture and tourism, the region has seen progress in education, health and human rights. 

A promising future

Civil society is becoming more active in the Moroccan Sahara, thanks to investments in education and vocational training that are guaranteeing a future for the region's youth. The creation of universities and technical schools that match the needs of the local economy has helped to meet the goals of a young and active population. Efforts have succeeded in increasing school attendance in remote areas, reducing dropout rates, a significant problem in the region.

Education policy aims to promote equal opportunities, with special programmes for young women and people in rural areas, contributing to real social inclusion. One of the main objectives of the Moroccan state has been to integrate the social dimension and human rights. 

But Western Sahara's development is not only marked by economic data. The importance of the resolutions in favour of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara and the support of major powers such as the United States, Spain, Germany, France, Israel and numerous Nordic, Arab, African and Latin American countries reflect the fact that diplomacy is the only path to understanding. In addition to the reiteration of support for the Moroccan plan, more than a dozen countries have opened consulates in the cities of Dakhla and Laayoune, including Chad in 2024, Guinea in 2019, Senegal in 2018, Gambia in 2017 and Nigeria in 2016.