A delegation of French businessmen and economic decision-makers, led by French Ambassador in Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, visited major infrastructure projects in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region on Wednesday. The visit, organized by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco, as part of the Moroccan-French Economic Days in the regions of Laayoune-Saguia el-Hamra and Dakhla-Wadi al-Dahab, allowed the delegation to closely examine the potential of the Kingdom's southern provinces to attract investments, forge partnerships, and promote trade exchanges. President of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco, Claudia Gaudio-Francisco, told MAP that the aim of this visit is to enable French businessmen to explore investment opportunities in the Dakhla-Wadi al-Dahab region. She explained that the goal is to learn about the completed and planned projects within the framework of the regional development program and to highlight the desire of French companies to participate in this approach of «joint construction» and contribute to the realization of major projects in the southern provinces, within the framework of multifaceted cooperation between France and Morocco. «We visited several structural projects under construction, including the seawater desalination plant in Dakhla», Gaudio Francisco said, noting that it is important for French companies to plan for future projects and contribute to the economic dynamism at the regional level. Edrin Klein, a French investor and branch manager of ID Sud Energies, noted the Kingdom's capability to implement large-scale projects, as reflected in the economic growth of the southern provinces, which have strong development potential. Bruno Peto, Director General of Bureau Veritas North Africa, expressed his «admiration» for the region's enormous development potential, especially in the field of green energy, emphasizing that many French actors are interested in investment opportunities in this part of the Kingdom's territory. The French ambassador and his delegation visited several major projects in Dakhla, including the seawater desalination plant, powered entirely by wind energy, and the Dakhla Atlantic Port, which aims to make the region a major regional hub linking Morocco to its African depth. Lecourtier held meetings with the governor of the Dakhla-Wadi El Dahab region, Ali Khalil, the president of the regional council, El Khattat Yanja, and the president of the Dakhla Collective Council, Ragheb Hermtalla. The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco, which has 3,000 members and more than 20,000 associates, opened regional headquarters in Laayoune in May 2017, Dakhla in March 2019, and most recently in Guelmim in February.
