Akhannouch says southern provinces see record growth with $10 billion road, port and energy projects

Head of government Aziz Akhannouch said Monday that Morocco’s southern provinces are experiencing “unprecedented development momentum,” driven by a wave of investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, and social services. 

Speaking before Parliament, Akhannouch said the transformation “confirms the wisdom of the royal vision,” with the human dimension at the center of the southern development model.

“The southern provinces have seen their road network grow from fewer than 70 kilometers to more than 4,000,” Akhannouch told lawmakers, adding that the government has accelerated projects under the regional development blueprint launched by King Mohammed VI.

 “This model represents a forward-looking approach to sustainable, integrated regional development.”

One of the flagship projects is the 1,100-kilometer Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, a 10-billion-dirham investment expected to benefit 2.5 million people.

 “The highway will improve connectivity between northern and southern Morocco and strengthen links with Africa,” Akhannouch said. He also highlighted progress on the 13-billion-dirham Dakhla Atlantic Port, now 42 percent complete, calling it “a cornerstone for trade, investment and Morocco’s strategic opening to Africa.”

Akhannouch said the south has also become “a hub for Morocco’s green transition.” The country has selected seven major hydrogen projects totaling 20 gigawatts of capacity and $36 billion in investments, mostly in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra. “These will position southern Morocco as a strategic center for producing ammonia, clean fuels and green steel,” he said.

The Head of government also cited the phosphate group OCP’s industrial expansion at the Phosboucraa site in Laayoune and near-completed works at a new 7.9-billion-dirham phosphate port. “OCP now operates entirely on wind power and desalinated water,” he said, framing it as a model of sustainable industry in the desert.

Beyond infrastructure, Akhannouch pointed to rapid progress in healthcare. The government has rehabilitated 104 primary health centers across the three southern regions, completed work on 87 and continues construction on 17 more. 

Two new university hospitals,  in Laayoune and Guelmim, with a combined cost exceeding 4 billion dirhams,  will anchor the south’s medical network by 2026.

“Health infrastructure in the south is being reshaped to guarantee dignity and equal access to care,” Akhannouch said. “These hospitals will become centers for training, research and regional medical excellence.”

He closed by linking development to unity, praising King Mohammed VI’s decision to make October 31 a new national holiday, the “Day of Unity,” celebrating the territorial integrity of the Moroccan Sahara. “It embodies the spirit of solidarity and Morocco’s steadfast commitment to sovereignty and progress,” he said.