The Dakhla Oued-Eddahab region has the potential to assert itself in the next ten years as a new economic, integrated and innovative pole, open to Africa, said Tuesday in Rabat, Moubarack Lo, Director General of the Office of Economic Prospective (BPE) of Senegal.
Mr. Lo, who spoke during a session under the theme: “Prospective development for Dakhla Oued-Eddahab”initiated by the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES) as part of a day of reflection on the future of the Region, underlined that “the Dakhla Oued-Eddahab region has the potential to assert itself in the next ten years as the counterpart of Tangier in southern Morocco, by becoming a new economic pole, integrated and innovative, open to Africa, like Tangier l is about Europe and the rest of the world”.
This would contribute to consolidating the harmonious territorial development in the Kingdom, in accordance with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, he argued.
Highlighting the competitive advantages available to the Dakhla Oued-Eddahab region to contribute effectively to the dynamics of consolidating Morocco’s integration into world and regional trade, Mr. Lo mentioned the vision of the Kingdom’s high authorities which consists to make the region and all of the Moroccan Sahara an integrated and innovative economic hub, an investment hub, particularly around the blue economy, a hub and a link between Morocco and the countries of the West African region.
“Massive projects have already been set up for this purpose, in particular the project to build the largest Atlantic port of Dakhla, coupled with an industrial and logistics zone”he observed.
Among the advantages also, the geography of the region, the youth of its population (approximately 29% under the age of 15), its natural resources, its tourist potential, as well as its positioning on world trades, namely the automobile, the aeronautics, agrifood, textiles and leather, electronics and offshoring of services, raised Mr. Lo.
In this regard, he noted that the region could also highlight several emerging trades such as activities related to water sports, the artisanal heritage linked to the Hassani culture, renewable energies (marine, wind, solar), shipbuilding and mining industries.
Mr. Lo also stressed that the Kingdom has made advanced regionalization a strong axis of its options for accelerating national development, adding that this option is confirmed in the New Development Model which makes territories “spaces for co-designing public policies with the State and place for their successful implementation”.
For his part, the Director General of the Regional Investment Center of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, Mounir Houari, highlighted the potential of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region in the fields of fishing and agriculture. , pointing out that the region abounds with huge investment opportunities especially in green energy.
He also noted that the Region has the necessary infrastructure to host African startups, noting that Dakhla Oued-Eddahab has recorded a major breakthrough in terms of startup funding.
Mr. Houari, to this end, called for more support for this type of business, particularly in the start-up phase, and to focus on human capital by using more training as a lever.
For her part, Salma Kabbaj, Managing Director of Impact Lab, indicated that the region has major assets to set itself up as an African innovation hub, citing in this wake the fishing industry, the agri-food industry, state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure, the favorable climate for the development of renewable energy sources and the attractive living environment that can attract Moroccan and international innovation talent.
She also highlighted the existing opportunities in innovative agri-food production systems as well as in adjacent ecosystems (Agritech, cleantech and logistics), calling for greater capitalization on high value-added expertise capable of strengthening the competitiveness of the sector. Region, and create new employment opportunities for local populations.
IRES aims to help inform strategic decision-making. Its mission is to carry out studies and strategic analyzes on the issues referred to it by His Majesty the King and to ensure a monitoring function, at national and international level, in areas deemed strategic for the country. It analyzes national issues of a structural nature, examines Morocco’s external relations in their multiple dimensions and pays great attention to global issues.
The work of the Institute, both in terms of studies and strategic monitoring, aims to emphasize public policies in order to clarify the choices in terms of fundamental reforms called for by the project of a democratic and modern society. in which Morocco is resolutely committed. This vocation gives IRES an original position on the national scene, at the heart of the country’s political, economic and social issues. (With MAP)