Disputed region to get new airport for Morocco’s World Cup

• Airport proposed for Western Sahara
• Regional development encouraged
• UK backs autonomy plans

Morocco has unveiled plans to build a new civilian airport in the disputed Western Sahara as part of a massive infrastructure development programme ahead of the 2030 Fifa World Cup which it co-hosts with Spain and Portugal.

Transport Minister Abdul Samad Qayouh disclosed the proposed plan for the airport in Boujdour city during a parliament debate on Wednesday, Morocco’s press reported on Thursday.

Qayouh said the state’s National Bureau for Airports would conduct a study on the project within the next few days and that it would be launched after the study is completed and funds secured.

He said the project would give a strong push to Morocco’s transport network as Boujdour does not have an airport, making travel to and from the region difficult.

He said the new airport would contribute to encouraging local and international investment, facilitating the movement of people and goods, promoting desert tourism and strengthening the state’s presence in the southern region.

Morocco has launched a major construction drive to develop its rail, roads and other infrastructure facilities as it braces for the 2030 Fifa World Cup.

Development projects cover nearly 35 cities and investments could exceed $34 billion in such projects over the next five years, according to a government report.

Qayouh said in late 2024 that around MAD42 billion ($4.2 billion) would be invested in airport expansions until 2030, adding that the plan comprises modernisation and expansion of major airports, including Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakesh, Fez, Tetouan and Agadir.

Mohammed V airport in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and business hub, will be upgraded to accommodate 44 million passengers annually, the Minister said.

• Morocco to break ground on Casablanca airport terminal in June
• Morocco raises $2.2bn to fund World Cup projects
• Morocco’s $1.3bn highway overhaul for 2030 World Cup

The airport announcement comes days after British foreign minister, David Lammy, said the UK endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal over the disputed region.

The Western Sahara is a disputed region just below Morocco. While the Rabat government considers it part of Morocco, the Algeria-backed Polisario front is demanding it be declared an independent state.

The UK is the third permanent UN Security Council member to endorse Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, following the US and France.

Lammy signed a number of cooperation agreements while on his visit to Morocco. Reuters reported that he hoped the deals would “ensure British businesses score big on football’s biggest stage”