Ten years ago, one resident recalled, Dakhla did not look like this.
Today, streets are being widened, roundabouts rebuilt and neighborhood roads dug up for water, electricity and sanitation works. Along the coast, construction stretches from the corniche overlooking Oued Eddahab Bay to a nearly 12km road between Foum El Bouir and Lassarga.
“We can see these major works and the large projects being carried out in Dakhla. The city was not like this ten years ago,” the resident told Le360.
Roads and side streets are being rehabilitated in several neighborhoods. Some are being widened. Roundabouts are being redesigned and landscaped, while green spaces and neighborhood sports facilities are being added.
Abdeljalil Assadi, a community association representative, said the works had moved beyond Dakhla’s main roads.
“Today, the city is seeing roads widened, model markets, local sports facilities and streets being redesigned,” he said.
The digging has gone below ground too.
Water, electricity and sanitation networks are being worked on in several neighborhoods, while green spaces are being connected to treated water and fitted with irrigation systems intended to use less water. Street lighting is also being replaced with more energy-efficient equipment.
The more conspicuous work is along the coast.
Between Foum El Bouir beach and the fishing area of Lassarga, a coastal road running for nearly 12km is under development. The road will connect points along that stretch of the coast and provide access to nearby sites.
Elsewhere, work continues on the corniche overlooking Oued Eddahab Bay, a waterfront used by residents and visitors.
For Assadi, the spread of construction into neighborhoods is what distinguishes the current round of works.
And for residents who have watched Dakhla change over the past decade, the difference is not limited to roads.
“It is not only the infrastructure that has changed,” the resident said. “We can see the public squares and local sports facilities.”
