The city of Agadir is a leader in future trade between Morocco and West Africa. On December 11, a memorandum of understanding was signed, formalizing the launch of an unprecedented maritime link between Agadir and Dakar. This project, led by Atlas Marine, a Moroccan company created by a group of British investors, introduces a maritime truck transport service, known as ro-pax. Management of this line has been entrusted to a dedicated subsidiary, Agadir Dakar Line.
This new service aims to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with land transportation. Currently, truckers take between 9 and 10 days to travel the 3,500 kilometers separating Agadir and Dakar by land. With the new maritime link, this journey will be reduced to just 56 hours. A crucial time saving, particularly for the transport of fresh and perishable products, as Driss Boutti, president of CGEM Souss Massa, explains: “This will preserve the quality of the products while reducing truck operating costs, particularly in fuel and wear. »
Despite this progress, Driss Boutti emphasizes that the new line does not replace land transport. With an initial capacity of 120 trucks per trip, it cannot absorb all of the 74,000 trucks which use the land route via Gueguerate annually.
The ship has 120 double cabins, showers, a buffet open 24 hours a day and even a prayer space, combining comfort and security. The round trip cost is estimated between 45,000 and 50,000 dirhams per truck, a competitive rate representing around half the cost of a land route.
The project benefits from the active support of the Souss-Massa region, which has committed to subsidizing the line during its first year, provided that a minimum occupancy rate of 65% is achieved. At the same time, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh, played a key role in quickly obtaining the necessary authorizations. The port infrastructures of Agadir and Dakar are already ready to accommodate this service.
The launch of the line is planned for the end of January or the beginning of February, with an initial frequency of one weekly trip. If demand justifies it, the rate could be increased.
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Beyond Dakar, this maritime link opens up prospects for connecting other countries in the Sahel corridor, such as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. It is part of a dynamic aimed at strengthening trade between Morocco and West Africa. For Gregory Darling, president of Atlas Marine and leading figure of the British giant AST Networks, this project represents a strategic opportunity.
The signing of this agreement marks the start of a new era in the transport of goods between Morocco and its African partners. The Agadir-Dakar line promises to optimize trade while creating new economic opportunities for the region.
