Morocco Plans Major Naval Base in Dakhla to Boost African Military Support

The military base will be installed inside the port of Dakhla Atlantic located in the fishing village of Ntireft, in deep waters outside the Oued Ed-Dahab bay. It will accommodate 1,700 soldiers from the Royal Moroccan Navy as well as large submarines and missiles, reports El Español. The future Dakhla base will also have a fuel supply to provide fuel to cargo ships on the routes of Africa to other continents.

"The base will cover a large area and could accommodate the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73)," explained a colonel of the Royal Moroccan Navy. The project is coordinated by the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, which has entrusted the work to the Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM) and SOMAGEC-SUD. "The work will take seven years, since the creation of a naval base requires much more time than that of an air base," declared engineers visiting the project site between January 13 and 17.

The United States and Israel, Morocco’s privileged military partners, support the construction of this military base in Dakhla which will play a strategic role in the region, given that countries like Mauritania and Senegal do not have naval military bases. Morocco has its largest naval base in Casablanca, as well as smaller ones in Agadir, Al Hoceima, Kenitra, Safi, Tan Tan and Tangier. The kingdom also has a military base in Ksar Sghir, in the north of the country.

The port of Dakhla Atlantic, costing nearly 1 billion euros, was created in 2016, following the High Instructions of King Mohammed VI. It aims to promote the economic, social and industrial development of the Sahara in all sectors (fishing, agriculture, mining, energy, tourism, trade and industry) and to equip the region with a modern logistics tool. Ultimately, the port of Dakhla Atlantic will be a formidable competitor to the port of Ceuta.