Water & Infrastructure: Morocco is pushing desalination hard as drought becomes structural, aiming for 60% of drinking water from the ocean by 2030, with a major $650m plant near Casablanca—though costs, brine disposal, and fair access for farmers remain open questions. Shipping & Border Mobility: Operation Marhaba (Spain–Morocco) runs 10 June to 15 September, expecting about 3.5m travellers and 900,000 vehicles, with ports, routes, and digitisation/biometrics central to keeping crossings moving. Security & Trade Risks: A record 30+ tonnes cocaine seizure off Western Sahara (Arconian) is linked to a sustained West Africa–Europe smuggling route, with Dutch fugitive “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers suspected of coordinating logistics. Western Sahara Economy: Heidelberg Materials says it increased production in occupied Western Sahara and supplies cement and concrete for major port and infrastructure projects in El Aaiún and Dakhla Atlantique—cementing business ties to Morocco’s consolidation. Diplomacy for Talks: UN envoy Staffan de Mistura’s visit to Tindouf camps (7–8 June) aims to restart negotiations, framed as a bid to reduce deadlock risks to Sahel and Sahara stability. Regional Tensions: Reports of a Moroccan drone strike near Akleibat El Foula sparked denials from Mauritanian artisanal miners’ unions, warning that misinformation could strain Morocco–Mauritania relations.