The United States ambassador to Morocco on Wednesday highlighted what he described as the vast economic potential of Morocco’s southern provinces, saying the territory could become a major hub linking Africa, Europe and the Americas as Washington-backed investment interest in the area grows.
Speaking at Gitex Africa in Marrakech, US Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III said the Moroccan Sahara was emerging as a strategic gateway for trade, logistics and digital infrastructure, driven by major projects and Morocco’s wider economic transformation.
“The economic potential of the Moroccan Sahara is unlimited,” Buchan said, pointing to plans for what he described as the largest and deepest deep-water port ever built in Morocco, in the southern city of Dakhla.
According to Buchan, the planned port project could strengthen the region’s role as a new commercial corridor linking Africa to Europe and the Americas, while also supporting new data centres and improved access to global markets for landlocked countries in the Sahel.
His remarks came as Morocco continues to promote development in the disputed territory and attract foreign investment to the area through infrastructure, logistics and energy projects.
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Buchan reaffirmed Washington’s support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the territory, describing it as a path “toward resolution and prosperity.”
The Western Sahara issue remains one of North Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes, with Morocco considering the territory an integral part of the kingdom, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks an independent state there.
The United States in 2020 recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory in a move that marked a major diplomatic victory for Rabat and has since maintained support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as a basis for resolving the conflict.
At the technology and investment event in Marrakech, Buchan framed the development of the southern provinces as part of Morocco’s broader economic rise over recent decades.
Drawing on what he described as a long personal relationship with the country, the ambassador said Morocco had changed dramatically since his first visit more than four decades ago.
Compared with his initial trip to the kingdom 43 years ago, Buchan said Morocco had evolved in an “impressive way,” moving from a more traditional environment to one that is increasingly integrated into the global digital economy.
He said the transformation was visible not only in major cities but also in infrastructure and connectivity across the country, noting that modern digital tools and transport links now make travel and commerce far easier than in the past.
Buchan credited Morocco’s progress to the leadership of King Mohammed VI, while also stressing the role of private enterprise in driving the country’s development.
“Where the world once saw a desert, His Majesty saw an opportunity,” Buchan said, referring to the king’s long-term investment strategy in the southern provinces.
He added that US companies were showing growing interest in investment opportunities in the territory, particularly in sectors linked to logistics, trade, infrastructure and technology.
Morocco has in recent years stepped up efforts to position its southern provinces as a gateway for African and transatlantic commerce, while also promoting renewable energy, fisheries, tourism and port infrastructure as key growth sectors.
The Dakhla Atlantic Port project is among the flagship initiatives intended to support that strategy, with Moroccan authorities presenting it as a key pillar in linking sub-Saharan Africa to international trade routes.
Buchan said the broader momentum around Morocco’s economy was attracting international attention.
“The world is watching Morocco,” he said.
His comments come as Morocco continues to market itself as a stable investment destination and regional business platform, particularly as global firms seek new trade and manufacturing hubs closer to Europe and African consumer markets.
For Rabat, the southern provinces have become central not only to its diplomatic strategy but also to its vision of long-term economic expansion across the continent.
