CNN showcased within connecting africa show the Dakhla’s Atlantic Port as a “pivotal continental nexus for trade and logistics” in a three-and-a-half-minute video, which remains under construction but promises the connection of the continent and facilitation of trade, as Africa’s largest infrastructure project.
Dakhla’s Regional Center of Investment displayed the video on its Social Media accounts on Wednesday, showing Morocco’s economic trading hub being constructed to connect west Africa.
The port’s construction director, Nisrine Iouzzi, said that the port’s geography is the key of its success, and that the integration of West Africa is the primary objective.
“We are constructing an ecosystem, we have a big infrastructure (…) with three bassins. The first one is for ship repair, the second one for fishing activities and the third for commercial activities,” she added.
The 1.2 billion dollar project will also include two industrial areas for logistics services, added CNN.
By the end of phase one, the port is expected to handle over 35 million tons of products every year.
The second port’s eight million ton capacity will be added primarily for dry cargo, said Iouizzi.
The general manager of the regional investment center added, “The port is strategically positioned to ensure that the nation’s southern provinces can also become a gateway for trade,” reported the news network.
General Manager of Regional Investment Center of Dakhla Mounir Houari said, “We strongly believe that, with this infrastructure, port infrastructure, road infrastructure, renewable energy, we will be very attractive for investors that aim to get to one of the fastest growing markets, which is the West African market.”
Houari said that the port will provide the continent with the opportunity to maintain the production of raw materials. Less than 5% of the African natural resources are processed in Africa, primarily because the continent’s infrastructure does not enable it.
The project will encourage many states to be part of the project and to begin processing their natural resources in Africa–thanks to the free trade zone–as this capability will create additional jobs and improve related technical skills, concluded Houari.