DAKHLA, (pop 106,277) a small city in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which is mostly controlled by Morocco, is now a centre for kitesurfing, and is increasingly viewed as a site of a new port, currently halfway through construction, reports CNN.
The US$1.2 billion project is expected to complete in 2028. Spanning 1,650 hectares, the complex will include a trade port with an oil terminal, a fishing port and a shipyard. There will be a bridge linking the port to the land and a seven-kilometre road that connects the port with a national highway that runs along the coast as far north as Tangier and as far south as the border with Mauritania.
Nisrine Iouzzi, the director of construction for the Dakhla Atlantic Port, expects it to handle 35 million tons of goods a year.
This will not only boost Morocco's economy, says Ms Iouzzi, but it could help the country become a maritime hub for worldwide trade, connecting regions such as West Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, the Canary Islands and even South America.
The geographic location is key to the success of the port, she says, adding that the project has attracted significant foreign investment, including from the United arab Emirates.
The project is part of Morocco's national port strategy, which aims to modernise and strengthen port infrastructure by 2030, in order to enhance its role in global supply chains.
Seaports such as Casablanca, Tanger-Med and Agadir have already been or are being upgraded, but because of its location, the Dakhla port is seen as particularly significant in opening up other parts of the African continent for the world to trade with.We strongly believe that with this infrastructure port infrastructure, road infrastructure, renewable energy, we will be very attractive for investors that aim to get to one of the fastest growing markets, which is the West African market, says Mounir Houari, general manager of Dakhla s Regional Investment Centre.
Turloch Mooney, head of port intelligence and analytics at research firm S&P Global Market Intelligence, says the development could be beneficial to the region.
It is very positive to see modern port and trade infrastructure being developed in the Western Sahara where there is potential to support a large hinterland in West Africa and the Sahel, he says.
SeaNews Turkey
The US$1.2 billion project is expected to complete in 2028. Spanning 1,650 hectares, the complex will include a trade port with an oil terminal, a fishing port and a shipyard. There will be a bridge linking the port to the land and a seven-kilometre road that connects the port with a national highway that runs along the coast as far north as Tangier and as far south as the border with Mauritania.
Nisrine Iouzzi, the director of construction for the Dakhla Atlantic Port, expects it to handle 35 million tons of goods a year.
This will not only boost Morocco's economy, says Ms Iouzzi, but it could help the country become a maritime hub for worldwide trade, connecting regions such as West Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, the Canary Islands and even South America.
The geographic location is key to the success of the port, she says, adding that the project has attracted significant foreign investment, including from the United arab Emirates.
The project is part of Morocco's national port strategy, which aims to modernise and strengthen port infrastructure by 2030, in order to enhance its role in global supply chains.
Seaports such as Casablanca, Tanger-Med and Agadir have already been or are being upgraded, but because of its location, the Dakhla port is seen as particularly significant in opening up other parts of the African continent for the world to trade with.We strongly believe that with this infrastructure port infrastructure, road infrastructure, renewable energy, we will be very attractive for investors that aim to get to one of the fastest growing markets, which is the West African market, says Mounir Houari, general manager of Dakhla s Regional Investment Centre.
Turloch Mooney, head of port intelligence and analytics at research firm S&P Global Market Intelligence, says the development could be beneficial to the region.
It is very positive to see modern port and trade infrastructure being developed in the Western Sahara where there is potential to support a large hinterland in West Africa and the Sahel, he says.
SeaNews Turkey
