Dakhla Oued-Eddahab: an open-air construction site serving African growth

The director of development of the port of Dakhla-Atlantique, Nisrine Louzzi, declared: “The national and regional context is evolving, confirming the correctness of the decision to build this port, as well as the relevance of the chosen timing.», during an interview given to Al Bayane as part of a special report published Monday December 23.

“The Royal initiative in favor of the Sahel countries will strengthen flows transiting through the Dakhla Atlantique port”she added, while emphasizing that “the Moroccan offer in terms of green hydrogen will consolidate the position of the Dakhla Atlantique port as a key infrastructure for the export of green energies“. She concludes: “The future therefore looks promising, and economic operators are showing increasing interest in this project.».

The daily explains that the new Dakhla Atlantique port is a structuring project par excellence. “This jewel will allow Morocco to consolidate its position as a global port hub. Moreover, “the Dakhla Atlantique port does not have a strictly Moroccan ambition, but a very African one”.

An ambition supported by the means deployed by the Kingdom. Mohammed Cheikh Maa El Ainayne, regional director of the High Commission for Planning (HCP), says: “In 20 years, we have caught up, because this territory had been neglected for more than 60 years by Spain, a former colonial power.“. Development has accelerated in recent years thanks to the launch of the construction of the Atlantic port, the expressway, the development of industrial zones, as well as the promotion of agriculture and renewable energies.

According to Mohammed Cheikh Maa El Ainayne, “when a region is equipped with wind farms and green hydrogen production, it becomes possible to develop industries such as foundries, cement factories and other energy-intensive sectors, in accordance with the national development model and that of southern provinces».

The figures confirm this trend. Mounir Houari, general director of the Regional Investment Center (CRI), underlines: “the region of Dakhla Oued-Eddahab records a very sustained growth rate, with a GDP per capita of 75,000 dirhams, compared to a national average of 30,000 dirhams“. He believes that “There are numerous investment opportunities there, notably thanks to easy access to state-owned land, unlike other regions facing saturation of available land”.

For his part, the director of the Dakhla desalination project, Lahcen El Moussaoui, highlighted the agricultural potential of the region: “Dince the creation of the first tomato production farm in the 1980s, modern agriculture now covers nearly 450 hectares. This has given a significant boost to local agriculture and job creation», Explains El Moussaoui. The turnover of this sector reaches 1.4 billion dirhams. From summer 2025, the planned date for the integrated desalination project to come into operation, this figure is expected to increase further.

This project, currently 57% complete, includes a desalination plant powered by a wind farm and aims to irrigate 5,000 hectares of agricultural land. It will enable additional production of 415,000 tonnes of early vegetables.

Industrial development also follows this dynamic. Bouchaïb Kiri, regional delegate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, reports that more than a hundred industrial units specializing in the processing and freezing of seafood products are established in the region. These activities have evolved into value-added industrial sectors for seafood products.

Finally, the tourism sector, although dynamic, still requires efforts. An official from the tourism delegation describes Dakhla as “a paradise on Earth», while specifying that the region lacks tourist activities. That being said, it should be remembered that the CRI supports projects in this sector via a one-stop shop, in particular to maximize the positive impacts of the new Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, which will facilitate travel, both for internal tourism and for transport. of goods.