Rabat: A high-level delegation representing several member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) visited Dakhla on Friday to learn about the economic potential of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region and explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the visit is part of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Promotion Week in Morocco, held from June 22 to 27 and organized by the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) in partnership with several national institutions. It aims to enhance trade, investment, and economic partnerships between Morocco and the Eastern Caribbean states.
During the visit, the delegation met with the Secretary-General of the Wilaya of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, Abderrazak El Gourji, the President of the Regional Council, El Khattat Yanja, as well as officials from the Regional Investment Center (CRI) and the African Chamber of Commerce and Services.
The meetings highlighted the region’s major strategic development projects, investment opportunities across several key sectors, and prospects for economic cooperation between Morocco and the Eastern Caribbean states.
In a press statement, Ricardo James, Head of Trade Policy Development within the Business Competitiveness Operational Unit of the OECS Commission, mentioned he was “impressed” by the quality of the region’s infrastructure, particularly the Dakhla Atlantic Port project, which is designed to establish the region as a major international trade hub.
The visit also enabled the delegation to gain insight into the region’s development projects while identifying several areas for cooperation between Morocco and OECS member states, he added.
For his part, Gordon Charles, President of the OECS Business Council, said the visit provided the delegation with an opportunity to discover Morocco’s investment potential and examine prospects for bilateral cooperation.
Charles noted that delegation members identified opportunities for collaboration in the blue economy, green economy, tourism, and trade.
He further emphasized that the Dakhla Atlantic Port project represents a major economic and logistics platform capable of strengthening trade between Moroccan and Caribbean business operators.
Speaking on the occasion, El Khattat Yanja said the meeting offered members of the Caribbean delegation an opportunity to witness firsthand the economic momentum of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region and its major strategic development projects.
He added that the visit also aims to identify areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly between the region and OECS member countries, while exploring investment and business partnership opportunities between companies from both sides.
Later in the day, the delegation visited the construction site of the Dakhla Atlantic Port, where members were briefed on the progress of this flagship project and its strategic role in strengthening maritime connectivity and trade.
The delegation includes representatives of public institutions, investment promotion agencies, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations from several OECS member states, including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The initiative forms part of the actions undertaken by Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, through AMCI and its partners, to support the Kingdom’s economic diplomacy at the international level.