« In 20 years Dakhla will be the main gateway to Africa, » Mounir Houari, the director general of the Dakhla Regional Investment Center, told the digital larepublicacheca.cat. This is how high a territory that is currently in evident expansion aspires.

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Dakhla, with about 150,000 inhabitants, is located on a peninsula in southern Morocco, near the border with Mauritania. Mainly, the area thrives on sports tourism and – specifically – on maritime exercise: surfing, windsurfing, kayaking, etc.

But that’s not its only attraction. It is a territory surrounded by the Atlantic coast and the desert, so nature offers possibilities within the reach of very few regions. However, it is a land yet to be exploited, but with significant natural and economic potential. Recently, the United States announced – through the Donald Trump administration – an investment of $ 3 billion in the region. This is further proof of the interest it is generating internationally.

Houari is clear about it, investors are key so that his effort and desire ends up materializing. That is why the Property Law has recently been reformed to streamline the bureaucratic process of buying and selling land. A foreign investor had to wait more than 100 days to acquire a plot in Dakhla. With the legislative change, you can now start your project in just 28. The conditions for these procedures can be easily consulted online.

Bureaucratic agility is important, but so is respect for the environment. Dakhla will continue to feed on Tourism and its port, which aims to be the door to Africa. However, the price to pay will not imply energies that mistreat the landscape of the region. According to Houari, one of the priorities is sustainable tourism. To this end, work is being done on the use of wind energy, since Dakhla is an area with strong winds. In turn, means are being developed to take advantage of the marine water that surrounds the peninsula, making it drinkable in 5,000 hectares of population.

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The fishing port of Dakhla
But all of the above is not enough to reach Houari’s goal. The port, as well as the infrastructures, will be key in the development of the territory. That is why the Moroccan government has already got to work, building motorways and improving the port area. Actions of this type are vital to attract investors. It is life insurance for anyone who decides to bet their money on Dakhla.

In this way, the region has an interesting present and a promising future. Bureaucratic agility, secure infrastructure, sustainable tourism and a majestic and unusual landscape. This is the panorama of Dakhla. Many hotels and homes under construction are already in sight. Economic growth symptom. An upward trend that seems to go without brakes.

photo@Isabelle Fabre