Ahmed Bouari, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, conducted a field visit to the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region on Friday to assess the progress of several major development projects under the “Green Generation” and “Halieutis” strategies.
According to a statement from the Ministry, Bouari, accompanied by Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries Zakia Driouch, visited several key sites in the region, including a desalination plant, agricultural product marketing channels, and an industrial unit dedicated to enhancing marine resources. He also launched a program to distribute relief beacons for satellite positioning in emergencies at sea, benefiting traditional fishing boats.
The source highlighted that the desalination project, part of the new development model for the southern regions launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, focuses on creating a desalination plant equipped with a wind farm and a modern irrigation network. This project is being implemented through a public-private partnership with an estimated budget of 2.6 billion dirhams.
The desalination plant will produce 37 million cubic meters of potable water annually, with 30 million cubic meters allocated for irrigation across 5,200 hectares and 7 million cubic meters for enhancing drinking water supply to Dakhla and its surrounds.
This project also aims to establish a wind farm with a capacity of 60 megawatts to ensure sustainable energy supply, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint and enhancing the project’s ecological integration. Additionally, it will equip 219 agricultural plots, including 100 enterprises for local youth, thereby generating job opportunities, enhancing agricultural land value, and establishing a new generation of farmers.
This project, which has reached advanced stages of completion, is a significant driver of economic and social development in the region, particularly as it will ensure sustainable supply of vegetables and fruits to the markets.
Following that, the delegation visited the neighborhood market and wholesale market for fruits and vegetables, developed in partnership with the Dakhla municipality. This project aims to modernize marketing channels and enhance health safety conditions. The progress level of the wholesale market construction is approximately 90 percent.
Bouari and Driouch also visited an industrial unit specialized in processing marine products, with a daily production capacity of 140 tons.
The project, which is 95 percent complete, has a total investment of 127 million dirhams and will create 498 direct and indirect jobs.
In this context, they reviewed a structured project for enhancing small pelagic fish, part of an expression of interest launched by the Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries. This project includes the establishment of six industrial units in Dakhla with a total investment of 1.16 billion dirhams, which will generate 4,378 jobs.
A program distributing relief beacons for traditional fishing boats was also launched at the headquarters of the Southern Atlantic fisheries chamber.
This project, funded by the Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries with a budget of 20.6 million dirhams, will equip 6,183 traditional fishing boats, including 3,207 in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, with the goal of enhancing the maritime safety of fishers at sea and improving the conditions for traditional fishing.
The statement noted that this visit allowed for a tangible assessment of the ongoing developmental projects aimed at supporting agricultural and maritime development in the region. This dynamic reflects the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI within the framework of the new development model for the southern regions.
