UK business freedom in Western Sahara affirmed

The UK government has recently ruled in favour of UK Business Freedom, allowing companies to freely operate in Morocco’s southern provinces, marking a significant stance on the territorial dispute. The firm position is that individual companies may decide for themselves whether to trade and invest in the region.

According to government financed Morocco World News, this ruling has been outlined by the Minister of State for Trade Policy, Douglas Alexander.

This was in response to a question by Scottish National Party MP Graham Leadbitter who asked whether the UK would ban trade and investment in “illegal settlements” in Palestinian territory and the Western Sahara.

Notably, Alexander responded by explaining that the Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law; however, “It is for companies to take their own decisions on whether to do business in Western Sahara.”

He further explained that the UK is continuing to support UN-led efforts for a political solution in Palestine, yet he did not mention any restrictions as far as the Western Sahara was concerned.

This stance by the UK plays into the hands of the Moroccan Kingdom which affects the Algerian side in its argument of ownership of the Western Sahara.

Algeria and Polisario have both looked to compare the Israeli occupation in Palestine to the situation taking place in the Western Sahara.

Although the UK explicitly labels Israeli settlements as illegal under international law and does not grant them special trade agreements, it does not apply the same economic restrictions to activities in Morocco’s southern regions of Western Sahara.

This action could be seen as the UK accepting Morocco’s control over the region, yet they have still not officially come out in support of Moroccan sovereignty in the region.

While the UK has not come out in direct support for Morocco, there has been growing support within the UK Parliament. In 2024, over 30 MPs signed a letter to then Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, urging the UK to recognise Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the most viable solution to the Western Sahara dispute.

While formal recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty claims remains elusive, the UK’s willingness to allow business engagement in Western Sahara signals a pragmatic approach that aligns more closely with Morocco’s position than with Algeria’s.

This economic openness could potentially pave the way for stronger UK-Morocco relations and further isolate opposing claims in the ongoing territorial dispute.

Morocco World News