AfCFTA Integration: The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s National Council hosted a lecture on the African Continental Free Trade Area, detailing how the state’s ratification (April 29, 2019) completed the legal threshold for AfCFTA’s entry into force and how a new “profile document” is meant to spotlight Sahrawi economic and investment opportunities. State Land for Industry & Jobs: Morocco’s Direction des Domaines de l’Etat approved 308 investment projects on about 32,000 hectares of public land in 2025, projecting 71 billion dirhams in investment and 16,333 jobs, with a big share in southern regions (Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab) and sectors including services, tourism, industry, agro-industry, and energy. Water Infrastructure Push: Morocco’s ocean-focused water strategy keeps moving, with reporting highlighting plans to draw drinking water from desalination (aiming for 60% by 2030) as drought becomes a structural risk, alongside major new plant development near Casablanca. Western Sahara Shipping & Security: A major cocaine haul—over 30 tonnes—was seized off Western Sahara aboard the Arconian, with reporting tying it to a wider West Africa-to-Europe smuggling pattern that uses Morocco and nearby routes, raising pressure on regional logistics and enforcement. Cross-Border Mobility: Spain and Morocco’s Operation Marhaba (June 10–Sept 15, 2026) is set to handle nearly 3.5 million travellers and about 900,000 vehicles, underlining the scale of seasonal transport and port coordination affecting the region’s movement of people and goods. Mining Tensions in the Disputed Area: A Mauritanian artisanal miners’ coalition denied claims that Mauritanian prospectors were hit in a reported Moroccan drone strike near Akleibat El Foula, warning that misinformation could inflame relations between Morocco and Mauritania.