Construction of Morocco’s $1 billion Dakhla port half complete

Morocco’s $1 billion Dakhla port project in the Western Saharan region is almost midway through construction, according to its Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, as reported by Logistics Middle East on November 18th. 

Baraka said: “This project represents a cornerstone for regional development and Moroccan-African economic integration, in addition to its important geo-strategic dimensions.” He added that it is set to be finished by late 2028. 

In an interview with African Business, Dakhla Atlantic Port’s director, Nisrine Iouzzi, said that the port will prove to be a “cornerstone” of efforts to develop the regional economy. 

Approximately 1,800 people are directly employed on the construction phase of the port project, and once completed, Iouzzi hopes 20,000 jobs will be created in industries that appear around the port development.

Morocco’s other major ports are located in Casablanca and Agadir. But Iouzzi said Dakhla’s development provides “a way for us to balance the logistic corridors and to integrate more with African markets”.

Iouzzi also notes that the port could handle the country’s trade with North and South America and that it could benefit neighbouring landlocked countries in the Sahel, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The Moroccan government sees the port development as an opportunity to facilitate the growth of various industries, including green hydrogen. The country is viewed as a promising location for green hydrogen developments. 

Earlier this year, Morocco advanced its renewable energy ambitions with over 2 billion dirhams invested in solar infrastructure expansion across ten regions under the Noor Atlas Photovoltaic Solar Energy program. 

Reported by the Moroccan government-friendly Hespress on April 18th, central to this effort is the newly established Noor Atlas Energy Company SA, which will oversee six solar plants totalling 291 MW across five regions.  

Backed by funding from international and local financial institutions, the initiative supports Morocco’s goal of generating 6,000 MW of clean electricity by 2030, with renewables accounting for 52 per cent of the national energy mix.

Logistics Middle East, African Business, Hespress, Maghrebi.org