France has deepened its support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara, with a €150 million investment announced by the French Development Agency (AFD).
The pledge was made public by AFD Director General Rémy Rioux during an official visit to Laayoune, signaling a major economic and diplomatic step following France’s historic recognition of Morocco’s territorial claims.
“The AFD Group will now invest in the southern regions by bringing in investments and financing,” Rioux told reporters.
Speaking from Laayoune, he expressed admiration for the pace of development in the region and praised its infrastructure quality.
“I’m very impressed by the investments and the quality of infrastructure that the region witnessed recently,” he said.
Rioux emphasized that these developments are already contributing to job creation and meeting the expectations of the youth.
He also applauded the rise of private sector activity and the establishment of industrial zones in the area.
According to him, the AFD’s entry into Laayoune Sakia El Hamra is not just financial, it is a message to global economic stakeholders to engage with the region.
This latest move follows France’s formal recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces, communicated through a letter from President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI in July of last year.
In the letter, Macron described Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the only realistic political solution for the long-standing territorial dispute and affirmed that the present and future of Western Sahara lie within Moroccan sovereignty.
Macron’s visit to Morocco in October of the same year marked a turning point in the diplomatic relationship.
Speaking before the Moroccan Parliament, he stated that France’s decision to back Morocco’s position “is hostile to nobody,” in a clear reference to Algeria’s longstanding opposition.
Algeria has supported the Polisario Front, a separatist group that has clashed with Moroccan forces and is considered by Rabat to be part of a broader campaign to undermine its territorial integrity.
Since the shift in France’s stance, a number of high-level French officials have visited Morocco’s southern provinces, an unprecedented show of alignment with the kingdom.
These visits included figures such as Minister of Culture Rachida Dati and French Ambassador Christophe Lecourtier, among others.
France has also begun expanding its consular presence in the region.
For the first time, residents of Laayoune, Dakhla, and Es-Semara will be able to apply for French visas directly from their cities.
This development was confirmed during the opening of a new TLS visa center in Casablanca in April, signaling a long-term commitment to deepen ties with southern Morocco.
AFD’s €150 million investment package is expected to enhance economic inclusion and infrastructure in the region, adding momentum to a geopolitical realignment that continues to reshape France’s role in North Africa.
