Hamdi Yara

Development projects are continuing in the city of Smara to upgrade infrastructure and boost the city’s appeal, with several projects being launched across the urban and economic sectors. Among the main initiatives are the redevelopment of Hassan II Avenue and the creation of an industrial activity zone north of the city.

The party presented its priorities for the next five years, with Nizar Baraka and Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid focusing on autonomy, jobs, higher education and investment in the region.

For its 14th back-to-school season, Laâyoune’s Paul Pascon French International School is reaching a new milestone with the move to a brand-new campus. Established in the city since 2012, the school is beginning the 2026-2027 academic year in modern facilities designed to meet international standards. The new setting reaffirms its mission of providing high-quality French education through a multilingual curriculum and a strong openness to Morocco and the wider world.

The National School of Advanced Technologies will take its first students in 2026-2027 for a five-year engineering course, while 20 military medicine places will be shared between Laayoune and Agadir.

Standing off the coast of Tarfaya, the historic Dar Al Bahr, also known as Kassamar, has withstood the Atlantic waves for more than a century. Built in the 1880s by Scottish explorer Donald Mackenzie, the monument remains one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, with local stakeholders now hoping restoration and development projects will give it a new role in Tarfaya’s tourism and economic development.

Residents of Laayoune joined people in several other Moroccan cities in observing a solar eclipse on Wednesday evening, Aug. 12. Astronomy enthusiasts gathered at Al Mechouar Al Saïd Square in front of the Laayoune Conference Center for an event organized by the Sahara Astronomy Association in Laayoune.

Many families in Morocco’s southern regions choose to spend part of the summer at Al Boura Beach, about 9 kilometers north of Tarfaya. Known for its calm and peaceful atmosphere, the beach draws holidaymakers from Laayoune, Smara and other provinces, adding to the lively family atmosphere, particularly as it lies near the Donald Trump Expressway linking northern and southern Morocco via Laayoune.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and ORNX signed an agreement on Tuesday to fund a Pre-Front-End Engineering Design (Pre-FEED) study for a planned ammonia plant in Laayoune. Designed to produce up to 560,000 tonnes of ammonia annually, the project marks the first U.S. government funding for a private-sector initiative in the Kingdom’s Southern Provinces.

Construction of the bridge spanning the Oued Sakia El Hamra in Laâyoune, set to become Morocco’s longest bridge, has surpassed the halfway mark. The 1.4 billion-dirham project is entering a critical phase with work underway on its prestressed concrete deck. Designed to last at least a century, the bridge will strengthen the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway and support Laâyoune’s economic development.