Madrid – The Spanish capital, Madrid, hosted this Monday an international seminar entitled "Tourism under Occupation: The Case of Dakhla City," dedicated to examining the permanent sovereignty of the Sahrawi people over their natural resources. The event aimed to highlight major tourism projects undertaken by the Moroccan occupation in certain occupied Sahrawi cities, particularly Dakhla, with the goal of turning it into a regional tourism hub as part of a policy aimed at entrenching the occupation and legitimizing it by involving international partners.

During the seminar, which was attended by experts, professors, lawyers, Spanish parliamentarians, and Sahrawi officials, an international report titled "Tourism under Occupation: The Case of Dakhla City" was presented. It addresses various aspects of tourism investments in Western Sahara, focusing on the aviation sector, particularly flights operated by the airline "Ryanair" between Madrid and the occupied city of Dakhla.

The report discusses the role of tourism in consolidating the economic occupation of Western Sahara and the attempt to legitimize it by involving foreign partners in investment projects in the territory. It also aims to sensitize the European consumer to the risks of falling into the trap of propaganda that presents the occupied city of Dakhla as if it were a Moroccan city, which could contribute to supporting the military occupation of Western Sahara.

The report also highlights the major tourism projects being developed in the occupied city of Dakhla as part of efforts to transform it into a tourist destination that attracts foreign investment, considering that these projects raise questions regarding the exploitation of the territory's natural resources and the extent to which the Sahrawi people's right to sovereignty over them is respected.

The report raised the issue of the participation of foreign companies in economic and investment activities in Western Sahara and the resulting legal and political implications, in light of the ongoing conflict over the territory and its people's right to self-determination.

It also highlights the importance of raising European public awareness about the nature of tourism projects established in occupied Western Sahara and the need to distinguish between the tourism promotion of the region and the legal and political reality of the territory, to ensure respect for the rights of the Sahrawi people and their sovereignty over their land and natural resources.

Speakers: ▪️ Advisor to the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ▪️ Yakouta El-Mokhtar, President of the Sahrawi Observatory for the Monitoring of Natural Resources and Protection of the Environment ▪️ Miguel Urban, former Member of the European Parliament, author of the report "Tourism in the Context of Occupation"