In an article posted online, “Jeune Afrique” underlines that for two decades, this oasis nestled between the golden sands of the Moroccan Sahara desert and the turquoise waters of the Atlantic has become “the Mecca of kitesurfers”, noting that this it is one of the best places in the world to practice this sport, to the point of hosting several international competitions, including the 2021 kitesurfing world championship.
“The winds blow almost continuously on this peninsula located in the extreme south of the Kingdom, 1,694 kilometers from Rabat, the administrative capital… but no one would dream of complaining: for many locals or tourism professionals , Dakhla only has the wind, the sun (25 degrees on average all year round) and the waves, three elements that make it famous”, observes the magazine.
In 2010, 25,000 tourists went there. Eleven years later, in 2021, the first post-pandemic summer, there were nearly 100,000. Among them, a majority of Moroccans forced to travel within the Kingdom due to health restrictions.
Quoted in the publication, Mounir Houari, director of the Regional Investment Center (CRI) notes that the great “boom” of Dakhla dates back to 2015, when HM King Mohammed VI kicked off the development plan for southern provinces, with an envelope of 85 billion dirhams (8 billion euros).
“For Dakhla, the Sovereign is thinking big,” underlines the author of the article, noting that the Sovereign wishes to make it a hub between Africa, Europe and America.
Among the city’s major structuring projects, the Dakhla Atlantique mega-port, a Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, a 1,600-hectare industrial zone, two logistics platforms in Guerguerat and Bir Gandouz, a seawater desalination station for agriculture, and several projects related to aquaculture.
“Everything will be completed within ten years”, assures Mr. Houari, without forgetting the opening of several airlines, including Casablanca-Dakhla and Paris-Dakhla.
Between 2013 and 2018, the region’s GDP grew by 12.9%, and growth rose to 7.9%. In 2021, the United States invested $3 billion in it. Four sectors particularly attract private investment: energy, construction, fishing (it represents 40,000 direct and indirect jobs), as well as tourism, notes the publication.
“Dakhla benefits from 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and several projects related to solar, wind or green hydrogen are under study”, underlines Mr. Houari to this effect.
“We want to control the development of tourism: the protected bay of Dakhla is the essential element that attracts surfers, sportsmen and nature lovers. We are part of a sustainable development, respectful of our ecosystem, indicates- he, noting that for investors, the specifications are therefore “quite heavy”.
In addition, the magazine notes that several consulates have emerged (13 in total) in Dakhla, adding that in the future, the peninsula might be called upon to become “a resort for politicians and diplomats from all over the world” .
And to continue: “Since 2015, it has been the privileged setting of the Crans Montana Forum, which annually brings together 6,000 participants, including many political and economic personalities from 170 countries. Its director, Jean-Paul Carteron, is convinced that it will become “the Florida of the South or the Tangier of the South”.
Dakhla is also setting itself up as a gypset destination (bohemian jet-set), where escape and the feeling of being alone in the world represent the ultimate luxury, underlines “Jeune Afrique”, noting its assets attract a certain elite and an upscale clientele. “We come here to recharge our batteries in complete discretion, taste the oysters and other fabulous seafood before trying our hand at windsurfing and then relaxing at the spa,” notes the same source.
Dakhla is also a destination of choice for Moroccan and foreign golden youth. This year, the Oasis Festival, the biggest electro festival in the Kingdom and on the North African scene, renowned for its cutting-edge programming, was not mistaken. “Acclaimed by the foreign press, the festival which welcomes the greatest national and international DJs, will launch there on September 23 and 24 the first edition of its new concept, “Into the wild”, “concludes the publication.
