Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Rabat – A delegation from the US Embassy in Rabat visited Morocco’s Laayoune and Dakhla this week to assess American-sponsored programs, a statement from the embassy announced today.
The delegation held meetings with beneficiaries of US-supported economic development projects, including the DakhlaConnect and LaayouneConnect digital platforms.
“The capstone of the four-day trip was a graduation ceremony for young Dakhla entrepreneurs who completed training in social media marketing, e-commerce, and networking,” the embassy added.
The training program took place last year between April and December at the Regional Investment Center (CRI) of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region as well as the School of Business and Management (ENCG) of Dakhla.
Last year, Dakhla Connect and Laayoune Connect were launched with the aim of boosting business assets in the Dakhla Oued Eddahab and Laayoune regions.
The US Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) supports the program’s platforms, which are the result of a partnership between the US organization’s body and the Regional Investment Centers for both the Dakhla and Laayoune regions.
Local governments and the US-based organization J.E Austin Associates are also partners.
MEPI assisted the platforms with a $100,000 fund.
“Both platforms now list more than 10,000 businesses and have received tens of thousands of visits and hundreds of requests for information from potential investors from across the world,” the US embassy said.
Commenting on the investment potential of the region, the Director of Dakhla Oued Eddahab’s CRI Mounir Houari, said that the Moroccan city’s potential is highlighted thanks to the DakhlaConnect digital platform.
Houari emphasized that the platform allows the region to promote “the economic assets and investment opportunities” in the region.
The visit of the US delegation is another milestone event, reiterating Washington’s position in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The US formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in December 2020. Former US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Morocco’s territorial integrity.
The US delegation is yet another confirmation that the current US administration is upholding the previous administration’s proclamation. The new US activity in the region comes as a refutation and opposition to claims and lobbying attempts from the Polisario separatist group and its supporters, undermining Morocco’s position.
The US-sponsored programs complement Morocco’s development model seeking to make the southern provinces home to investments. The regions’ assets vary from fishing to agriculture, tourism, and renewable energies.
