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Morocco Plans $213 Million Farming Project in Western Sahara

File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Morocco Plans $213 Million Farming Project in Western Sahara

File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Morocco is seeking investors for a $213 million agriculture project in the disputed territory of Western Sahara irrigated by a wind-powered desalination plant.

The project aims to turn 52 square kilometers of unused land near the city of Dakhla into farms growing fruit, vegetables and animal feed, according to an Agriculture Ministry tender launched on Friday.

The project will be 77% state-funded and is part of a $7 billion development plan unrolled by Morocco in 2015 to upgrade Western Sahara's infrastructure, including the construction of a $1 billion port in Dakhla.

The wind-powered desalination plant, part of a wider series of projects aimed at countering water scarcity that has hit Morocco's agricultural output, was approved last year.

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Population Growth Drives Saudi Real Estate Prices to 15th Consecutive Increase

A residential project of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A residential project of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Population Growth Drives Saudi Real Estate Prices to 15th Consecutive Increase

A residential project of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A residential project of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Real estate prices in Saudi Arabia have continued their upward trajectory for the fifteenth consecutive quarter since early 2021. In the third quarter of this year, data shows a 2.6% year-on-year increase, driven by a 1.6% rise in residential property prices and a 6.4% increase in commercial properties, while agricultural land prices declined by 8.7%.
According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Riyadh recorded the highest property price increase among Saudi regions in the third quarter, with a year-on-year rise of 10.2%, followed by Hail at 5%. In contrast, prices fell in nine administrative regions, with Al-Baha experiencing the steepest decline at 14.3%.
These latest figures are based on an updated methodology from the GASTAT, which uses 2023 as the new base year and incorporates a geographic AI model to better capture transaction types. Satellite images are also used to enhance data quality and accuracy. Methodological updates include broader geographic coverage to better represent administrative regions and revised property classifications, which were applied retroactively to data from 2021 onward.
Real estate experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that the steady rise in property prices since early 2021 reflects high demand for residential properties, fueled by sustained growth and government efforts to encourage homeownership under Vision 2030, which aims to increase homeownership rates among Saudi families to 70%.
Real estate expert Saqr Al-Zahrani explained that the price increase reflects rising demand for residential and commercial properties across Saudi cities and provinces, due to ongoing population growth, urban expansion, and more housing projects aimed at meeting high demand. Government efforts to support and expand residential projects have also played a significant role.
Al-Zahrani expects a slight continued increase in residential property prices in the fourth quarter of 2024, especially with the expansion of housing projects aimed at boosting homeownership in most cities. However, he anticipates this growth rate may moderate somewhat in 2025 if new regulatory measures, financing programs, or incentives are introduced to adjust demand.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, real estate expert Al-Aboudi bin Abdullah attributed the 2.6% increase in Saudi real estate prices in the third quarter this year, compared to the same period last year, to two main factors. First, residential property prices rose by 1.6%, driven by heightened developer demand in anticipation of further price increases and market activity, as interest rates are expected to remain low into 2025.
The second factor is the 6.4% rise in commercial property prices, spurred by demand for land and commercial and office projects. This demand aligns with major development projects launched under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.