UN Desertification & Climate Pressure: A new report warns the Sahara is expanding, with drylands getting “permanently drier” and the desert pushing southward—an issue that directly affects livelihoods and agriculture across the Western Sahara region. Morocco–Gulf Investment & Trade Links: Morocco’s deepening ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar are bringing Gulf capital into infrastructure, tourism, logistics and energy, including support for Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy approach and consulate openings in Laayoune and Dakhla. UN Sahara Diplomacy: Morocco’s UN ambassador says keeping the Western Sahara dispute on the UN agenda is “obsolete,” arguing the Security Council should move toward a definitive autonomy-based solution under Moroccan sovereignty. Phosphate Exports Under Scrutiny: Western Sahara Resource Watch reports only three firms imported phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara in 2025—the lowest recorded—while shipments rose to about 2.02 million tonnes, highlighting ongoing extraction and revenue pressure. Tourism as an Economic Strategy: Morocco-administered Western Sahara tourism is surging, with arrivals up sharply since 2019 and more direct flights feeding demand—raising questions about how branding intersects with the territory’s unresolved status. Regional Weather Watch: Egypt’s heatwave conditions include possible light rainfall in parts of Western Sahara, with sand-and-dust risks from winds.