Every day, the site of the future Dakhla Atlantique port, located 40 kilometers north of Dakhla and covering an area of 1,650 hectares, buzzes with incessant activity. Hundreds of machines, from excavators to imposing cranes, are busy in a precisely orchestrated mechanical ballet. Earthmoving equipment digs and moves tons of earth to shape the future face of this infrastructure, while fully loaded dump trucks circulate continuously, transporting materials and debris. The roar of engines and the clatter of metals shape the background sound of this gigantic construction site.
At this stage, the work has progressed by 20%, according to Omar Aberkaz, head of the development department of the Dakhla Atlantique Port. The infrastructure is already taking shape: the commercial docks should extend over several hundred meters, with technical specifications to accommodate large vessels. In addition, sections dedicated to fishing and ship repair are being developed, with specific docks for each activity. These facilities are designed to boost the region’s maritime economy, while integrating environmental and sustainable aspects into their design.
Selon Omar Aberkaz, «This is a project driven by a royal vision, which is an integral part of the national port strategy. This future complex will be both a crossroads for economic integration and a nerve center of influence on a continental and international scale.».
A boon for the region, but also for the whole country: great investment opportunities, job creation both at the port and in the logistics zone and an extraordinary capacity for adaptation of our port infrastructures with the international evolution of maritime transport.
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«A provider of direct and indirect jobs, this project will also have positive repercussions on the social fabric of the city of Dakhla in particular and the region in general, whose growing economic dynamics it will support. The teams mobilized, namely 1,600 people, on the ground are working hard to deliver the project on time.“, assures our interlocutor.
The future port will be ready in 2028
The objective is to deliver this gigantic project within the allotted time by the end of 2028, as stipulated in the agreement signed in the presence of the Sovereign in February 2016.The work on this site is also taking place in full compliance with ecological standards which will be beneficial not only within this port located 40 kilometers from Dakhla, but also for the entire region.“, notes this official.
The Dakhla Atlantique port, whose total investment cost is 12.5 billion dirhams, will include a set of structures: a commercial basin with an oil station, a coastal and offshore fishing basin that will ensure a forecast traffic of nearly one million tons of maritime products, and a ship repair basin. This project will also have several connectivity structures, including a sea access bridge, a 7 km road connecting the port to national road no. 1, among others.
Dakhla Atlantic Port
Par Hajar Kharroubi et Souilme Bouaamoud
02/07/2024 at 3:19 p.m.
