Morocco Invests 105 Billion Dirhams in Oasis and Argan Regions, Surpassing Development Goals

These figures were revealed by Brahim Hafidi, Director General of the National Agency for the Development of Oasis and Argan Zones (ANDZOA), during the meeting of the Agency’s Board of Directors, held under the chairmanship of the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, reports l’Économiste.

This strategy has made it possible to improve all socio-economic indicators in the target regions, assured the official, stressing, in this regard, that the various programs implemented have contributed to the reduction of the poverty rate, from 13.4% in 2007 to 6.8% in 2019. The GDP of the oasis and argan areas, for its part, increased from 84 to 136.5 billion dirhams between 2009 and 2019.

In total, 129,800 jobs were created between 2012 and 2019 in the Agency’s area of action. Similarly, access to basic services during the 2012-2020 period has been significantly improved. At this level, the rural electrification rate increased from 94.8% to 99.39%. For their part, access to drinking water and the rural isolation rate increased from 80% to 94.8% and from 70% to 83.45% respectively. The volume of water resources, for its part, will reach nearly "1,675 million m³" after the completion of ongoing projects, notes an ANDZOA press release.

Recalling that the oasis and argan areas were threatened with "disappearance", Hafidi specified that the efforts to rehabilitate and preserve this national heritage have allowed the planting of more than 3 million palm trees, more than 100,000 hectares of argan trees, and 10,000 hectares of agricultural argan trees.