Rabat – Morocco’s Al Barid bank has announced it will open a branch of its banking facilities in Guerguerat, a town on the border between Morocco and Mauritania. Al Barid, a subsidiary of Poste Maroc, stated that construction is underway.
Al Barid emphasized that the new branch intends to “better support local customers,” yet the construction of a new bank in the border town is likely more symbolic than practical.
The Guerguerat town is the southernmost border crossing in the country and serves as an important point of trade and symbolism, yet has a population of less than 1,000 inhabitants. In 2009, the town’s population was still estimated at 29.
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Morocco is currently spending MAD 24 million ($2.6 million) to connect the quiet border town to running water, which was only recently connected to the Bir Gandouz electricity plant.
As Morocco is in the process of building essential services such as running water and electricity in the border town, Al Barid will be the first to offer banking services to its residents and those travelling through the town for business, transport and travel to Mauritania.
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The symbolism of the move emphasizes Morocco’s presence in the region, and the large-scale development project that has transformed the Western Sahara region in the past decade.
Rabat has made it its mission to raise living standards and create plentiful economic opportunities to the local population. A major port is under construction in Dakhla while Laayoune hosts two dozen diplomatic missions of countries supportive of Morocco’s territorial integrity.
