The specificities of Guelmim-Oued Noun give this region a unique dimension

Considered as the gateway to the Sahara, the region of Guelmim-Oued Noun is a link not only between the North and the South of the Kingdom, but also between Europe and Africa.

M’Barka Bouaida: The Regional Development Plan (RDP) that we adopted in November 2019, identified a number of sectors on which the region’s economy should rely to ensure a solid growth trajectory and persistent. We can distinguish between traditional sectors, such as fishing, agriculture and tourism, and future sectors such as renewable energies. With regard to the traditional sectors, despite the enormous natural potential available to the region in the field of maritime fishing, agriculture and tourism, the results in terms of wealth creation are far from satisfactory. Indeed, the economy of the region is largely dominated by tertiary activities (excluding tourism) which monopolize more than half of the added value created in the region. Agriculture and maritime fishing represent only 17% of the wealth created, while the secondary sector produces only 13% of the added value at the regional level. This shows the extent to which the region’s potential is under-exploited.

If we take the example of tourism, the region has inherited an extremely rich and diversified cultural potential and endowed with a unique natural setting combining the desert, the oases, the reliefs, the Atlantic coasts, the mouths of the wadis and the rock engraving sites which constitute a tourist offer of great value, to date not valued. With regard to maritime fishing, which a few years ago constituted a source of wealth and job creation at regional and national level, its contribution is increasingly weak, even though the fishery resources of our coastline are considerable. Our efforts are today directed towards the dynamization of these sectors by the reinforcement of the infrastructures necessary for their development, through the realization of some structuring projects like the station of desalination of Guelmim and Tan-Tan to widen the irrigated perimeters, the development and strengthening of port infrastructure and development of tourist areas and circuits. The region is also counting on the sectors of the future, which fall within the framework of the orientations of the Kingdom, such as the development of renewable energies, the development of aquaculture and the promotion of creative and cultural industries, to make this sector a tool for the inclusion of young people and the creation of wealth.