Moroccan Coastal City Atalayoun Undergoes $80 Million Tourism Transformation

The city of Atalayoun is accelerating its tourism development. The company Marchica Med, a subsidiary of the Agency for the Development and Enhancement of the Marchica Lagoon Site, and HB Holding NV, a holding company specialized in real estate investment and new technologies, have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of a real estate and tourism project on the Atalayoun site at an estimated total cost of over 800 MDH. In a press release, Marchica Med explains that this partnership aims to transform the city of Atalayoun into a choice tourist destination combining modernity and respect for the environment, while enhancing the natural and cultural heritage of the region.

High-quality infrastructure on the front of the existing marina, including a 4-star hotel of around 130 rooms, premium residences and villas, will be built. The project also includes landscaping arrangements respecting the principles of sustainability and preservation of the local ecosystem. This project should generate around a hundred permanent jobs. "The signing of this memorandum of understanding marks an important turning point in the implementation strategy of the development and development project of the Marchica lagoon site, which will accelerate the pace of realization of this strategic project launched" by King Mohammed VI in 2008 "and which aims to realize the royal vision of promoting progress and sustainable development of the entire Oriental region, while ensuring the conditions for a decent life for its citizens," said Loubna Boutaleb, Managing Director of the Agency for the Development and Enhancement of the Marchica Lagoon Site and CEO of Marchica Med.

"Our expertise in real estate and tourism development, combined with Marchica Med’s vision of sustainable development, will allow us to carry out a project that meets the desired and required quality standards for the enhancement of the Marchica lagoon and that will be a reference in terms of responsible tourism and sustainable development on the scale of the Kingdom of Morocco and Nador in particular," assure Henri Broen, CEO, and Solayman Bouharrou, partner at HB Holding.

The first-born of the Marchica pearls, the city of Atalayoun is a residential and tourist resort. With an area of 154 ha, this jewel offers a unique environment located between sea and land on the Marchica lagoon peninsula of the same name.