Morocco’s $1 billion Dakhla port project in the West Saharan capital is almost mid-way through construction, according to its Minister of Equipment and Water.
“The project has reached nearly 50 percent of work…we expect it to be completed at the end of 2028 as per schedule,” Nizar Baraka was quoted by Sabah Agadir daily and other Moroccan media outlets last week.
“This project represents a cornerstone for regional development and Moroccan-African economic integration, in addition to its important geo-strategic dimensions,” he added.
The port covers an area of 1,650 hectares and will include:
·An access road of 7 kilometres and a seaway of 1.3 kilometres.
·A commercial port (694 metres of quays).
·An anchorage for oil tankers (115 metres)
·An anchorage for RO-RO vessels (45 metres).
·A fishing port (fishing area: 1,583 metres).
·A zone of economic activities to provide high-quality industrial, logistic, and commercial services.
·A 650-hectare industrial logistics zone to strengthen trade and maritime relations between Morocco and Africa.
Morocco’s Transport Ministry said in May 2021 that it had selected a consortium comprising SGTM (Societé Générale des Travaux du Maroc), a key contracting firm in Morocco, and the Casablanca-based SOMAGEC Sud for the project in Dakhla, a city of more than 100,000 people.
The new port is part of Morocco’s 2030 National Ports Strategy, it added.
In October, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Washington backs investments in disputed Western Sahara, where Morocco has been building infrastructure to attract foreign investors.