170 million dirhams. This is the amount of the partnership agreement recently signed between the municipal council of the city of Al Ouatia and various partners, including the Southern Agency, the ONEP, and the Directorate of Local Authorities at the Ministry of the Interior.

This amount, intended for the execution of the city's urban development programme, is distributed as follows:

50,000,000 dirhams: participation of the Southern Agency, including 5 million representing the contribution to the realisation of the city's liquid sanitation.

25,000,000 dirhams: contribution from the ONEP for the realisation of the city's PDU (Urban Development Plan).

The Directorate of Local Authorities at the Ministry is contributing 65,000,000 dirhams, of which 20 million is intended for the realisation of the city's liquid sanitation project and 45 million for the PDU.

The municipality of Al Ouatia is participating to the tune of 30 million dirhams.

The sum of 170 million dirhams concerns the realisation of this major project and the preliminary studies for its implementation. This project focuses on the realisation of the city's PDU, within the framework of which road infrastructure will be built, pavements will be laid, coverage will be renovated, and lighting will be generalised across different axes. It also includes the construction of an Olympic-sized stadium, the large square of the administrative district, Massira and Zerktouni avenues, and the road towards the Moukhayam district.

It should be noted that the city is located 25 km south of Tan Tan, of which it houses the port. Some 10,000 inhabitants populate this clean and well-maintained city. Unlike the dilapidated city of Tan Tan, the existing avenues and axes in the city of Al Ouatia are the subject of particular attention from municipal services, and a daily and punctual garbage collection service is provided.

In summer, the city of Al Ouatia welcomes holidaymakers from most of the neighbouring towns, driven out by the heatwave that characterises the Saharan provinces. The port of Al Ouatia, one of the largest sardine ports in the country, and its geographical location mean that this city is attracting more and more investors in the tourism and maritime fishing sectors.

Several fish processing units offer hundreds of jobs. Furthermore, the Regional Investment Council of the Guelmim-Smara region has given its agreement for the realisation of several tourism projects along the coast of the city of Al Ouatia, the most important of which is the one that will cover an area of 14 hectares and will be carried out by the Alliance company. This project will undoubtedly contribute to boosting the economy of the province in general and that of Al Ouatia in particular. This makes this city the most prosperous commune in the entire Guelmim-Smara region. It should be noted, however, that the maritime fishing sector, which has always been monopolised by the Omnium Maroc group, has been experiencing enormous difficulties for some time, and the 2,200 employees of this group have been unemployed for several months.

Other partnership agreements have also been signed between the municipality and the INDH. These agreements concern the realisation of projects related to the development of four public squares, including those of the sailors and the Moukhayam district, the construction of the citizen's house, and a local stadium. Several projects are under study or in the process of being realised with funding from the municipality.