The American TV channel CNN recently aired a report about the Dakhla Atlantic Port, highlighting it as a crucial infrastructure project that will promote economic integration in Africa and facilitate trade across the continent.
The program “Connecting Africa” emphasized Morocco’s ambition to establish the port as a key trading hub for West Africa and neighbouring regions. The media coverage underscored that the port, a significant component of Morocco’s port strategy, is strategically located to enable the country’s southern provinces to serve as a trade gateway for the continent.
Nisrine Iouzzi, head of the interim management overseeing the port’s construction, emphasized the importance of the port’s geographic location in achieving connectivity between Morocco and the rest of Africa. With an investment of approximately 10 billion dirhams, the project comprises three main sectors dedicated to trade, maritime fishing, and ship repair, projecting an annual traffic volume of 35 million tons.
Mounir Houari, Director General of the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab Regional Investment Center, highlighted the attractiveness of the infrastructure, road network, and renewable energy projects for investors targeting the rapidly growing West African market. Houari noted that the Dakhla Port, in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, aims to enhance intra-African trade by promoting local processing of natural resources within the continent.
By addressing the lack of industrial and export infrastructure in Africa, the project seeks to create employment opportunities, enhance skills and expertise, and strengthen local industries.
This extensive project, endorsed by King Mohammed VI in February 2016, aligns with Morocco’s commitment to Africa and its efforts to foster collaboration and partnerships with other African nations as part of the new development model for the Southern provinces.
