Morocco is accelerating tourism development in Western Sahara, a disputed territory, while human rights groups allege tightened administrative control and suppression of local Sahrawi activism. The UK government faces renewed scrutiny over its policy stance, as it maintains a position of neutrality while funding projects that critics claim legitimise Moroccan sovereignty.
Data from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism shows a 22% increase in visitor numbers to the region in 2024 compared to the previous year, with new hotel complexes and cultural centres opening in Laâyoune and Dakhla. Advertisements brand the area as “a jewel of the Atlantic” and highlight its sandboarding, camel treks, and “authentic Sahrawi hospitality.” However, independent observers report that these initiatives occur alongside a crackdown on pro-independence voices. In 2024 alone, at least 14 Sahrawi activists were detained, and the Moroccan authorities banned a conference on self-determination.
The Western Sahara conflict is a protracted territorial dispute dating to the 1970s, following Spain’s withdrawal. The Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks independence, while Morocco claims sovereignty and proposes autonomy. The UK, along with the US and EU, has not recognised Moroccan sovereignty but engages economically. The UK’s Department for International Trade supports Moroccan-led investments in infrastructure, including a desalination plant and a solar farm in the disputed zone, via the UK Export Finance scheme. Human Rights Watch says this contravenes international law, arguing that such projects “entrench the occupation” and violate the rights of Sahrawi people.
Dr. Helena Vance, Science & Climate Correspondent, notes: “From a resource security perspective, the region holds substantial phosphate reserves and offshore fishing grounds. Climate change is making these resources more valuable as weather patterns destabilise. The UK’s energy transition requires reliable supplies of phosphate for batteries and solar panels. This explains the quiet support for Morocco’s development, despite the ethical cost.”
Local residents report a dual reality. In Laâyoune, new apartment blocks rise alongside water scarcity and power cuts. Sahrawi communities complain of exclusion from the tourism economy, with most employment going to Moroccan settlers. There is also a heavy security presence: checkpoints and military patrols are common, creating what one visitor described as “a tense atmosphere beneath the surface of a charming beach holiday.”
The UK Foreign Office maintains that its official position is unchanged: it supports the UN-led peace process and does not recognise Moroccan sovereignty. Yet critics point to a discrepancy: the UK has no official trade agreements with the Polisario Front, but actively facilitates investment on the Moroccan side. The UK Export Finance agency issued £50 million in guarantees last year for a water plant in the region, despite legal advice warning of liability under international humanitarian law.
As the polar ice caps melt and global temperatures rise, the strategic importance of the western Sahara amplifies. Minerals, fish, and sun become ever more critical. The tourism push is a soft-power campaign to solidify claims on the ground. For now, the visitors come, the sun shines, and the Sahrawi remain caught between two worlds and a warming planet.
