Morocco is set to transform its southernmost coastal town of Lagouira (La Güera) into a large-scale tourism village, backed by Emirati investment, as the kingdom accelerates infrastructure development ahead of co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

The proposed project, located in a sparsely populated Atlantic coastal strip near the Mauritanian border, would convert what is widely described as a “ghost town” into a fully equipped mixed-use leisure destination.

The United Arab Emirates presented the initiative to the Moroccan government.

According to reports, the development would include hotels, chalets, villas, guesthouses, and luxury desert tents.

Recreational facilities would cover swimming pools, water parks, spa and fitness centers, sports fields, landscaped green spaces, and children’s playgrounds.

The complex would also feature restaurants, cafés, retail outlets, quick-service kiosks, and event and conference halls.

Infrastructure components include electricity networks, sewage systems, internet connectivity, parking facilities for cars and buses, and reception and security services.

The proposal comes as the UAE deepens its economic footprint in Morocco, particularly in the southern provinces.

The Gulf state opened a consulate in Laayoune in 2020.

The UAE ranked as Morocco’s top foreign investor in 2024, contributing MAD 3.1 billion ($310 million) 18.9% of Morocco’s total net FDI and a 57.8% jump from 2023, according to Morocco’s Office des Changes.

Emirati investments in Morocco reached approximately $188 million by the end of the first half of 2025, according to Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance.

This placed the UAE second only to France among the kingdom’s largest foreign investors.

The momentum follows King Mohammed VI’s official visit to Abu Dhabi in December 2023 and subsequent private visits, with the latest reported between November and December 2025.