The southern regions of the Kingdom were present at the heart of the innovative and renewed partnership declaration signed by King Mohammed VI and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during the visit that led the Moroccan monarch to the United Arab Emirates. This partnership, the elements of which included a set of requirements that are mainly concerned with increasing the pace of the development renaissance led by Morocco in its Sahara, such as the development and preparation of the Dakhla airport and port, and the development of joint tourism and real estate projects between the two countries in these regions, in addition to the development of the integrated project “Dakhla, the gateway to the Sahara.” “And the African-Atlantic gas pipeline project.
The partnership and projects come as a continuation of the development path that Morocco has begun in these regions since its recovery from the grip of Spanish colonialism. This path will be strengthened with the approval of the development model for the southern provinces, in which Morocco has made great strides through a group of development projects that have transformed the Moroccan Sahara into an attractive regional platform for investment. The foreigner. These projects, which will be carried out in Emirati-Moroccan partnership, also come within the framework of implementing the royal vision that aims to develop the Kingdom’s Atlantic coast.
Dynamic development and promising projects
Idriss Al-Issawi, an economic analyst, said that “the state visit conducted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the UAE comes first in the context of the great momentum witnessed by Moroccan-Emirati relations at all levels, especially the political and economic levels,” noting that “the UAE has been contributing for a long time.” “In financing a group of major projects in the Kingdom, such as infrastructure, energy, tourism, and finance and business projects.”
Al-Issawi added, “The UAE’s opening of its Consulate General in the Moroccan city of Dakhla in November 2020 was a declaration of this Gulf country’s readiness to engage and contribute to the development dynamism witnessed by the southern provinces, in which the Moroccan state opened new horizons and opportunities for foreign investment.”
Commenting on the goals of the new Moroccan-Emirati partnership in its relationship with development in the Moroccan Sahara, the same spokesman stated that “this innovative partnership between the two countries has placed the southern regions at the center of its interests through a group of major projects, such as developing Dakhla Airport, preparing the Mediterranean port of Dakhla, and developing tourism and real estate projects.” Joint efforts in the Dakhla and Tarfaya regions, and the preparation and development of the Dakhla Gateway to Africa integrated project; In addition to creating a commercial naval fleet in these regions, and then the African-Atlantic gas pipeline.”
The same spokesman explained that “all these promising projects will make the Moroccan Sahara a regional economic platform and an important Atlantic gateway, in line with the desire and strategy announced by King Mohammed VI in his last speech,” pointing out at the same time that “the size of the agreements signed by the two countries has great weight.” In the language of sustainable development in our southern regions, it heralds a development renaissance that these regions will witness in the coming years.”
The same economic analyst concluded, in his statement to Hespress, that “Emirati investments in the Moroccan Sahara would also contribute to the influx of foreign investments from other Gulf countries, and from countries friendly to Morocco, which believe that access to Africa first passes through the sands of the Moroccan Sahara.”
A lasting partnership and a historic opportunity
For his part, Khaled Ben Ali, an economic analyst, stated that “the permanent Moroccan-Emirati partnership has given a group of strategic sectors a new breath and a precise and specific work program in time and place, in accordance with what this type of strategic project requires,” noting that “all regions will benefit from this.” Projects, including the southern regions, given the capabilities they have today, established the development model for these regions.”
Ben Ali added in a statement to Hespress that “the Moroccan Sahara regions will benefit from these investments, like the rest of the regions and regions of the Kingdom, because the matter is related to a community development project that includes all of Morocco within the framework of bridging distances and equitable distribution of investments at the national level, especially with the approval of the new investment charter that He laid new foundations to stimulate foreign investment, and framed the necessary reform projects to facilitate the investment process and direct it towards priority sectors of the national economy.”
The same economic analyst added, “The Kingdom is facing a historic opportunity to achieve an economic take-off for all sectors and all parties, especially as we are about to organize global events and demonstrations similar to the 2030 World Cup,” pointing out that “this type of investment cannot come in vain, because Morocco was able to reap the fruits of a policy that it began since the accession of King Mohammed VI to the throne, and moved towards implementing it with steady steps while accompanying it with a group of other projects and programmes, such as social protection workshops, reform of the health system, and other components that strengthen the confidence of foreign and Gulf investors in particular. Morocco".
The same spokesman continued, “Foreign investment opportunities in today’s world are narrowing day after day, as they have become affected by a group of geopolitical factors and changes taking place in many countries. However, providing a suitable climate for it will certainly attract it, similar to what Morocco is doing, which requires, in addition to that, providing a solid legal arsenal to implement the new investment charter and formulate investment approaches on the basis of a win-win policy, in order to properly implement development projects. Current or future, whether in our southern regions or in other regions.”
