2024-07-30 16:31:39
Many structuring projects have, in fact, seen the light of day during the year 2023 in the largest city in the Moroccan Sahara, undoubtedly contributing to improving the living environment of citizens and accelerating the dynamics of socio-economic development.
This sustained momentum enabled the city of Laayoune to win, last November in Doha, the Sustainable and Resilient City Prize, awarded by the Organization of Arab Cities, as part of the 14th edition of the Sustainable and Resilient City Prize.
These flagship projects have undoubtedly given new impetus to the development process in the capital of the Moroccan Sahara, through the implementation of edifying projects aimed in particular at improving the provision of healthcare, ensuring agricultural development and consolidating the infrastructures of higher education and professional training and those of roads, sports and culture.
Thus, in the field of health, six urban and rural health centers were put into service last November in the province of Laayoune, as part of the policy of rehabilitation and equipment of public health establishments.
These are the urban health centers of the first level, namely “Al Qods”, “The new city”, “Al Aouda”, “Al Wifaq”, “Mohamed Salem Sidi El Boukhari” and “25 Mars”, as well as the rural dispensary of “Diaâte”.
These health centers are equipped with high-quality medical resources and equipment, with an integrated information system that records patients’ digital data, allowing them to easily access their medical records at all health facilities, both regionally and nationally.
In order to consolidate road infrastructure, a major engineering structure on Oued Sakia Al Hamra was put into service at the end of July, over a length of 600 m and a width of 14 m.
This project, which is part of the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway project and whose implementation mobilized 107.6 million dirhams (MDH), aims to improve road traffic, combat flooding in the Oued Sakia El Hamra and bring the road axis into compliance with international standards.
Added to this is the construction of a new viaduct over Oued Sakia Al Hamra, with a length of 1,725 meters, for a budget of approximately 1.3 billion dirhams (MMDH).
All sections of the expressway have been completed in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, including the last section (Tarfaya-Oudri) which was opened to traffic at the end of October, after the completion of horizontal and vertical signaling works and road safety equipment.
In the agricultural sector, a milk processing and yogurt production unit was inaugurated last November in the commune of Foum El Oued, with a view to diversifying production, improving the income of beneficiaries and creating new employment opportunities.
As part of the new development model for the southern provinces, this 3,000 m² structure, which mobilized an envelope of nearly 46 MDH, is likely to allow the production of 1,460 tons of yogurt per year and the creation of 18,000 days of work.
There is also talk of setting up a livestock feed production unit (the fully mixed ration), managed by a dairy farming cooperative.
Mobilizing a total amount of 8 MDH, this project, which benefits from a subsidy from the Agricultural Development Fund of around 0.8 MDH, aims to unify the feed ration of livestock, improve livestock reproduction and unify the quality of milk.
In the cultural sector, the large media library of Laayoune was created to offer its visitors free access to a collection of books, magazines and newspapers, as well as a variety of cultural activities.
Spread over an area of 23,500 m², including 5,500 m² covered, this architectural gem mobilized a budget of around 86.6 MDH, including 70.1 MDH for construction and development work, while the amount dedicated to equipment amounted to 16.5 MDH.
This cultural structure includes in particular an auditorium with a capacity of approximately 450 seats, a reading room, a video library, an exhibition gallery, and a space reserved for the press, in addition to a multimedia room.
In the same vein, a project relating to the rehabilitation and equipment of a cultural complex dedicated to Hassanie culture was launched at a cost of 12 MDH, over an area of 6,000 m², with the aim of safeguarding cultural heritage, promoting tourism and creating employment opportunities in the tourism sector.
Vocational training is not left out in this virtuous dynamic, with the creation of the City of Trades and Skills (CMC) of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra which welcomed its first class for the 2022-2023 training year.
The CMC of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra aims to be a new generation training establishment, aiming to diversify the range of specialties offered in training and its adaptation to the needs of the job market.
As part of the dynamics of regional development, this CMC, with a total capacity of 2,000 teaching places per year, offers a diversified training offer covering 46 sectors, 70% of which are newly created, in order to meet the evolving skills needs linked to sectors with high employment potential for the region.
Higher education is the other battle horse for the southern provinces, with the construction of the faculty of medicine and pharmacy which mobilized a budget of 257 MDH on an area of 10 Ha.
This major project is part of an integrated project also involving the ongoing construction of a University Hospital Center for an investment of 1.2 billion dirhams, which is likely to improve healthcare provision for the population and provide quality medical services.
Regarding sports infrastructure, they were strengthened by the inauguration, in November, of an indoor Olympic swimming pool and an indoor multi-sports hall, for a total investment of 105 MDH, in addition to an indoor Al Hizam swimming pool (20.5 MDH), in order to promote the emergence of new talents among the younger generations in the sports field.
Construction work on two other indoor swimming pools in the “25 Mars” (28.2 MDH) and “Al Kassam” (5.2 MDH) districts was also launched at the end of July, with a completion period of 12 months.
In addition, the crafts sector was consolidated by the inauguration of Dar Saniaa (craftswoman’s house), with a view to strengthening the capacities of women’s craft cooperatives and providing them with a space conducive to production, training and marketing.
Mobilizing a total cost of 2.2 MDH, this project, which is part of the integrated development program of the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region, targeted around fifty women artisans gathered within the framework of cooperatives and cooperative unions, who benefited from a series of training in apprenticeship training centers.
This year was also marked by the inauguration of public gardens and squares, in this case the “Al Alaouine” square with an area of 4,600 m², equipped with an underground car park (3,800 m²), with a capacity of more than 100 cars.
Similarly, the “Oum Saad” square was put into service, on an area of 60,000 m² for a budget of 60 MDH, including among other things green spaces, fountains and play areas, as well as a skate park.
In short, Laayoune continues its determined march and is becoming a large open construction site which will allow this region of the Kingdom to fulfill its role in the national socio-economic fabric.
The projects completed or those currently being implemented demonstrate the high concern with which HM King Mohammed VI has constantly surrounded the southern provinces, so that they become real investment hubs contributing to the international influence of the Moroccan Sahara.
2024-07-30 16:31:39