Rabat – King Mohammed VI presided this evening over the launch of the Agadir Urban Development Program (2020-2024), a structuring project to promote the city’s role as an integrated economic hub and locomotive of the entire region.
Worth MAD 6 billion (around $625 million), the urban development program aims to consolidate the city’s strategic position and strengthen its attractiveness as a national and international tourist destination.
The program is also set to improve human development indices and promote the living conditions of the population, particularly the inhabitants of under-equipped neighborhoods.
The program is also set to include a strengthening of Agadir’s basic infrastructure as well as a plan to consolidate the city’s road network for better mobility.
The Agadir program is part of King Mohammed VI’s vision for development in Morocco as set forth in his speech on the 44th anniversary of the Green March.
In the speech, the King called for the reinforcement of basic infrastructure in the Souss-Massa region and its road network, the establishment of a railway linking Marrakech to Agadir, and the consolidation of the strategic position of the region.
During the launch of the Agadir Urban Development Program this evening, Morocco’s inister of Interior Abdelouafi Laftit presented the framework of the plan.
Laftit affirmed that the region has enormous potential to become an attractive and competitive economic hub to meet the challenges of advanced regionalization and consolidating its national and continental influence.
The minister also noted that the region of Souss-Massa is currently developing several structuring projects.
Current projects in the Agadir region include reducing territorial and social disparities, the Industrial Acceleration Plan, as well as agricultural projects and tourism development.
Following the minister’s address, the Wali of the Souss-Massa region Ahmed Hajji presented the six main aspects of the project.
The first aspect relates to achieving the first high-service bus line of the city of Agadir on a linear of 15.5 km.
The bus line will connect the port of Agadir to the neighborhood of Tikiouine and surrounding industrial zones.
Additionally, the bus route will serve the administrative neighborhood of the city, Hassan II avenue, Souk El Had, Hassan I avenue, the university complex Ibn Zohr, and the industrial zone of Tassila.
The second aspect involves the construction of the first phase of the North-East bypass road.
The road spans nearly 25 kilometers and links the Agadir Al-Massira airport to the commercial port of the city.
The second aspect of the program also includes developing engineering structures and new entrances to the city from the future North-East bypass road, and widening and rehabilitating the expressway.
The third aspect concerns the urban development of Agadir’s tourist zone and reinforcing its attractiveness by rehabilitating the cornice, building public facilities such as a tourist information office and the Timitar museum, redeveloping green spaces, rehabilitating the Vallée des Oiseaux park, renovating street furniture, and creating themed tourist circuits.
The third aspect also aims to connect the city with the coastal zone byreinforcing the road and lighting network.
The fourth aspect pertains to the preservation of the environment and the development of the city’s green spaces through the creation of Tikiouine park (28 ha) and Al Inbiaat park (25 ha). The fourth aspect also aims to restructure and upgrade Ibn Zaidoun park and Olhaou garden.
The fifth aspect concerns the protection and enhancement of the city’s heritage, along with cultural promotion.
The sixth aspect is concerned with strengthening basic social amenities and aims to upgrade under-equipped neighborhoods, support the city’s urban development, and improve the livelihoods of the region’s citizens.
