Marruecos recibe en Dajla a los embajadores de los países del Golfo
The coastal city of Dakhla, located on a narrow peninsula in southern Morocco, is one of the best economic opportunities for the Alawi Kingdom. Rabat is aware of its potential and has been working for some months now to encourage foreign investment that will allow the full development of the planned projects and boost the rest of the southern regions.
In this framework, the Regional Council of Dakhla-Golden River and the Diplomatic Foundation invited last Thursday the ambassadors of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen to Dakhla in order to show the important economic assets of the area and convince their partners of the investment opportunities.
The chairman of the Regional Council of the southern province, Yanja El Khatat, held a meeting with the emissaries from the Arab countries to discuss the terms of the visit. During the conversation, El Jatat gave the representatives the latest news about the infrastructure plan in Dakhla and the best economic sectors to invest in the region.
After the meeting, the ambassadors visited the main local factories, some of the completed projects in the region and others that are still in progress. Among the latter, the delegation witnessed first-hand the Dakhla Atlantique, a huge port project that aims to strengthen trade links with the rest of the continent.
The Saudi ambassador to Rabat, Abdullah bin al-Ghurairi, underlined the importance of the visit to observe first-hand the economic opportunities offered by the region. Ghurairi praised the Moroccan authorities for developing the plans "in record time" and said they represent "a qualitative leap for Dakhla in the Atlantic".
Abdelati Habek, president of the Moroccan Diplomatic Foundation, highlighted the nature of the visit, saying it was part of a series of diplomatic efforts to present to its partners "the social and economic development undertaken in the Dakhla-Golden River region" and to inform them of the "development model in the southern provinces".
For this reason, the representatives of the Gulf countries extended their stay in Morocco with a visit last Saturday to the town of El Ayoun.
Beyond the commercial terms, local media have insisted that the visit symbolises the Gulf countries' full support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. In this sense, the ambassadors reportedly wanted to show their direct support for Morocco after months of friction with the Polisario Front.
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) reaffirmed its strategic partnership with Morocco in the dispute and endorsed the measures taken by the Alawi Kingdom to "preserve its security, stability and vital interests in the framework of the sovereignty and unity of the territory".
The Saharawi claim to the southern territories has met with an unmitigated diplomatic defeat, as Morocco has a total of 20 consulates in the Dakhla and El Ayoun regions. Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan are located in the latter city, while the US maintains its consulate in Dakhla, which was opened during the Trump administration.
The Moroccan authorities are working to boost the economic development of the southern provinces, including Dakhla-Golden River. The region's main town, Dakhla, is expected to be the centre of investment and the city that will house the main infrastructure.
With a surface area of 30,898 km2, the province accounts for approximately 20% of Morocco's territory. Its advantageous location makes it a key link between Europe and Morocco, and between Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa via Mauritania. Hence, for Rabat, the region can operate as the main gateway to the continent.
Dakhla-Golden River reached a GDP per capita of 85,669 dirhams -about 8 euros at the exchange rate- more than double the national average, according to the latest statistics from the High Commission for Planning. In addition, the region generates approximately two per cent of the national GDP.
Speaking to ATALAYAR, the president of the Regional Council of the region said that Dakhla has a fishing industry "which is almost the most important in Morocco". The fishing sector alone accounts for 45% of the region's GDP and employs the most people.
The Dakhla-Golden River Council approved in March a total of 14 projects to be carried out this year worth 574 million dirhams, or around 50 million euros. The main objectives include improving the region's economic attractiveness, strengthening road infrastructure and promoting higher education.
In this regard, Yanja El Jatat said that the authorities had achieved "a development comparable to any city in neighbouring countries with the efforts of the administration and investors".
