Oujda-Angad launches major development projects ahead of Throne Day celebrations

A series of Oujda-Angad development projects was launched on Monday across the prefecture as Morocco marks the 27th anniversary of the Throne Day celebrations. The initiatives cover sports infrastructure, drinking water supply, and urban upgrading, with the aim of strengthening public services, improving local infrastructure, and supporting long-term territorial development.

The projects were inaugurated by Mhamed Atfaoui, Wali of the Oriental region and Governor of the Oujda-Angad Prefecture, in the presence of elected officials, representatives of local and decentralized authorities, and military and security officials.

In the sports sector, construction work began in the Es-Samara district on three neighborhood sports grounds representing a combined investment of nearly MAD 23 million. The projects form part of a wider program that includes the creation of seven sports facilities within schools in the municipality of Oujda, financed through a partnership between the Wilaya, the Regional Council, and the Regional Academy of Education and Training. The program also includes the construction of two synthetic turf football fields and two multi-sports courts.

Authorities also presented an additional program to build neighborhood sports facilities in the municipalities of Oujda, Boulenouar, and Mestferki with a total investment of MAD 9.7 million. The initiative falls under the Greater Oujda Development Plan and is implemented through a partnership involving the Ministry of the Interior, the Wilaya, the participating municipalities, and the local development company Oujda Aménagement.

In the hydraulic sector, officials launched a MAD 6 million project in the municipality of Sidi Moussa Lemhaya to secure the drinking water supply. The project is financed by SRM Oriental and is scheduled for completion by March 2027.

According to Khalid Matous, head of the company’s works division, the project will strengthen drinking water distribution while supporting major infrastructure developments along National Road No. 17. The works include laying 4.8 kilometers of main pipelines from the Es-Samara reservoir and constructing the associated technical facilities.

Urban development also featured prominently during the launch ceremony. In the Drafif district, officials presented a MAD 100 million urban restructuring program targeting under-equipped neighborhoods located at the northern entrance of Oujda. The program is financed by the Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy.

Regional Housing and City Policy Director Fatiha Diyr said the initiative seeks to promote sustainable urban development through road improvements, sidewalk construction, reinforcement of stormwater drainage networks, and the integration of several targeted neighborhoods, including Drafif, Ellouz, Slaymani, Ennahda, Mir Ali, and Es-Samara, into the city’s regulated urban fabric.

The newly launched projects form part of broader national efforts to reduce regional and social disparities while improving living conditions through integrated local development.