Morocco's investment-intensive projects will support the development of inter-African trade according to a former senior Senegalese official.

Rabat – Morocco's major infrastructure projects in its southern regions, especially the new Atlantic port of Dakhla and the Tiznit-Dakhla highway, will contribute to the development of African trade as well as regional trade, a former Senegalese official said.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Mancor Ndiaye, highlighted that these projects will help Morocco open up to sub-Saharan Africa and will inevitably contribute to the “Development of intra-African and regional trade.” He made the comments at a conference themed “Dakhla as an African hub” earlier this week. 

Depending on its geography, the southern regions of Morocco, especially the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, have witnessed notable economic growth within the industrial and financial sector, Ndiaye explained.

The former senior Senegalese diplomat further noted that, thanks to the ongoing implementation of several projects, the region is gradually evolving into an industrial, logistics and tourism hub.

Speaking at the same event, the Head of the Information Department of the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecast of Morocco, Ibrahim Al-Hasnawi, noted that the economy of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region had grown by 11.9% between 2014 and 2019. He attributed this growth to Morocco's national strategy for the development of the southern regions , which was launched in 2014.

Regarding local economic potential, Al-Hasnawi noted that the region has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the country thanks to its thriving fishing and service sectors. 

Commenting on the mega port under construction in Dakhla, “the creation of this new port on the Atlantic front responds to geostrategic objectives related to regional development and the peculiarities of the maritime fishing sector,” said Sanaa El Amrani, of the Ports Directorate. . and Maritime Public Domain in the Ministry of Equipment and Water.

The project aims to stimulate the industrial capacity of the region as more companies flock to the adjoining industrial centre, contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the region.

Source: MoroccoWorldNews