A large scale project to build a new city near the Mediterranean town of Tangier, the third biggest of all Moroccan cities, after the economic capital Casablanca and the political capital Rabat, at a cost of 24 billion Moroccan Dirhams (2.92 billion U.S. dollars) has been launched.
The city dubbed “CH'RAFATE” will be established on a 1,300ha area and will include by the completion of works in 2020, some 30,000 housing units.
The new city, to be located between the cities of Tangier and Tetuan (both north Morocco), is part of a huge project named "Al Boughaz," which aims to avoid the massive construction on the seaside, create large urbanization spaces as well as reinforce links between the cities of the north region.
The project aims to strengthen both the urban and road networks as well as the infrastructures in Morocco's northern region, also respond to the housing demand that is and will be generated by the Tanger-Med Port and its surrounding projects and industrial zones. It will be carried out by development company Al Omrane Al Boughaz as well as national and international property developers.
The Tangier-Med Project, which is a strategic priority for the economic and social development of the North Morocco region, is part of the economic policy orienting Morocco towards exports. This is based on eight clearly identified export sectors, with particular emphasis on the free trade agreement with the European Union to be implemented between 2000 and 2012 and it will contain the biggest port in Africa.
The city will also include a diversified housing offer, as well as several industrial zones, a handicrafts complex, a tourism-oriented area, city facilities and green areas, the project will certainly create large numbers of job opportunities
CH'RAFATE city is part of a large-scale project announced in 2006 to create up to 15 new cities by the year 2020, in order to accompany Morocco's economic and demographic growth. They will be built mainly near the country's biggest cities: Tamansourt (Marrakech), Tamesna (Rabat) Lkhyayta and Zenata Al Jadida (Casablanca), Melloussa (Tangier), Tagadirt (Agadir), besides others.
Source : Africa Interactive