US Pledges $5 Billion Investment in Moroccan Sahara Amid Diplomatic Push for Regional Stability

This speech by the Moroccan monarch coincided with the visit to Algiers on July 27 of Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s special advisor, as part of a diplomatic mission aimed at "boosting trade" as a means of stability in the region. "The United States wants the best neighborly relations between Algeria and Morocco," Boulos said in a statement to the press, before returning to Washington without making his planned visit to Morocco.

Morocco enjoys the support of three of the five members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France and the United Kingdom - and of Spain, the former colonial power, for its Sahara autonomy plan. "The United States recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports your autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute," President Donald Trump reiterated in his letter addressed to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the Throne Feast. This recognition "leaves the door open to dialogue to reach a solution accepted by both parties," nuanced Massad Boulos, who hopes to achieve a "quick solution" to the conflict.

Mohammed VI’s speech also comes at a time when the US government has announced massive investments in the Moroccan Sahara. The American International Development Finance Corporation is about to authorize investments of up to $5 billion (about €4.315 billion) in the Moroccan Sahara, Le Desk reports, specifying that these are mostly projects designed with Moroccan partners in the renewable energy, minerals (rare earths), aquaculture and tourism sectors, after exploratory missions carried out in Morocco at the end of last year.

Many foreign investors are interested in the Moroccan Sahara. Last year, the Spanish group Senator announced the opening of a hotel in Dakhla. The French Development Agency has also announced a €150 million investment plan for 2024 to build an electricity line between Casablanca and Dakhla. The Emirati energy company Taqa, already present in Morocco, also plans to invest up to $10 billion to build solar and wind power plants in the Moroccan Sahara in order to export green energy to Europe.