The Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry has rejected a request from the separatist Polisario Front to cancel the "Moroccan-Spanish Investment Forum" scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, to explore investment opportunities in the city of Dakhla in Moroccan Sahara.
According to Spanish media, the Polisario Front used various means and channels to urge the Madrid Chamber of Commerce not to organize the forum in the Spanish capital. However, the Chamber of Commerce rejected these demands and affirmed that the forum will take place without any changes.
According to Spanish media, the forum will be organized by the Madrid Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Moroccan Embassy and enjoys the support of the Madrid City Council and the mayor of the capital. It will witness the participation of several political, diplomatic, and economic figures, headed by Morocco's ambassador to Madrid, Karima Benyaich.
According to the same sources, the forum's activities will shed light on the investment fields and sectors that abound in the Dakhla region, such as fisheries, tourism, agriculture, and renewable energy. Spanish investors will have the opportunity to learn about the region's qualifications and investment potential.
This forum comes days after France announced its intention to invest in the Moroccan Sahara region during the visit of French Foreign Trade Minister Franck Riester to Morocco last week, in another step by France to thaw differences with Morocco through economic investments.
It is expected that France's desire to invest in the Moroccan Sahara will lead to competition from a number of other countries, especially Spain, which has made significant progress compared to Paris in this field, after Spain's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Sahara in 2022.
