Morocco to open two deepwater ports, gateway for Sahel trade
Morocco will open two deepwater ports—one next year and another in 2028 in the disputed Western Sahara city of Dakhla—marketed as a “gateway for the landlocked Sahel,” according to Water Minister Nizar Baraka, as reported by Reuters on December 8th.
The port due to open next year is the Nador West Med in the Mediterranean, which will have 800 hectares for industrial activity, expandable to 5000 hectares in the future. It will be larger than the existing Tanger Med port, which is already the largest in Africa.
Morocco’s ports have helped position the country as a gateway between Europe and Africa, with most of its traffic originating from Europe and the Americas. The Tanger Med port is supported by industrial zones hosting 1,200 companies employing 110,000 people, which produced $15 billion in exports last year—about 20% of Morocco’s total.
As Morocco’s economy relies heavily on exports, ports handle 95% of Morocco’s trade. Morocco’s 2030 National Port Strategy, led by the National Ports Agency (ANP), earmarks nearly $7.5 billion to expand and modernise its Atlantic and Mediterranean port network.
The Nador West Med port is set to play a major role in the Kingdom’s energy vision, hosting Morocco’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
The second port built in the disputed Western Sahara region by the Atlantic coast will be a project that includes 1,600 hectares for industry and 5,200 hectares of farmland using desalinated water, Baraka said. Due in 2028, the port will be Morocco’s deepest at 23 metres, enabling heavy processing of Sahel-sourced raw materials.
Nizar Baraka also stressed that both deepwater ports will be dedicated to green energy. Morocco is considered among the Arab world’s most promising sites for green hydrogen, with its high-quality solar and wind resources, significant land availability and geographic proximity to European industries pursuing decarbonisation.
The EU-Morocco agricultural and fisheries agreement, which gives Morocco access to Western Sahara resources, has been challenged previously and currently for failing to acquire the the consent of the Western Saharan people. The Dakhla Atlantic Port, due to open in 2028, is expected to enhance Morocco’s access to these Western Sahara resources.
Morocco’s vision for the Dakhla Atlantic port is to give landlocked Sahel countries like Mali, Chad, and Niger a direct maritime outlet, although operations may be affected by insurgencies and the region’s wider instability.
Reuters, Tanger Med, Oxford Business Group, African Business, SpecialEurasia, Maghrebi.org
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