President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Regional Council Yanja El Khattat visited Chad on November 12 and 13, 2026, to advance economic ties, vocational training, and regional integration.
During his mission to N’Djamena, El Khattat met with institutional leaders and business figures to transform regional economic complementarities into practical development projects. The visit highlights Dakhla’s ambition to serve as a bridge between the Atlantic space and African economies through territorial diplomacy.
Speaking on November 13 at the Africa Executive Meetings in the capital, El Khattat emphasized the strategic importance of the Royal Atlantic Initiative, launched by King Mohammed VI to facilitate access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean.
“Located on the Kingdom’s Atlantic seaboard, our region benefits from a positioning that enables it to develop connections with West Africa and contribute to strengthening trade between Morocco and its African environment,” said El Khattat.
He said that the future Dakhla Atlantic port is designed to handle an annual cargo traffic of 35 million tonnes and a capacity of up to one million EVP containers.
For Chad, a landlocked nation spanning over 1.2 million square kilometers, diversifying trade corridors and improving international market access remain core development challenges. El Khattat proposed establishing an economic partnership program between operators in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and Chad, supported by cross-economic missions, logistics diagnostics, and business meetings.
The economic forum was placed under the banner of “Dakhla, crossroad of opportunities at the heart of the Royal Atlantic Initiative,” convening business leaders around investment perspectives, trade growth, and youth employment.
On November 12, El Khattat met with the Chadian Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Vocational Training, Dr Sitack Yombatina Béni, alongside State Secretary Dr Khadidja Adoum Attimer. Discussions centered on technical training, workforce competence, and short-term practical programs for Chadian trainers.
A Chadian delegation is expected to visit Dakhla on December 7 to further evaluate cooperation opportunities.