Morocco has planned for Western Sahara to receive 5 million tourists annually by 2032, slightly more than Gran Canaria, a destination that will lose a significant portion of the market in southern Gran Canaria. They have sand dunes, not squalid shopping malls, a consequence of the capital from Las Palmas that invaded Playa del Inglés in the 80s. Now, all that remains is for Spain to cede air traffic control, preventing interference between the two destinations in such a limited airspace.
The autonomy plan for Western Sahara has taken a qualitative leap forward, transforming from a mere declaration of intent into a robust organic statute, according to Atalayar. This new legal framework, structured article by article, moves beyond political rhetoric to adopt a normative technique comparable to the most advanced autonomy regimes in Europe. The document establishes a clear power structure, precisely defining the mechanisms for constitutional articulation and the procedures for oversight.
The key to this new phase lies in a mixed system of shared powers. While the central government exclusively and restrictively reserves the symbols of sovereignty—such as national defense, foreign policy, currency, and supreme jurisdiction—the Region assumes a leading role in shaping its own future. This delimitation ensures that strategic areas of national security remain exempt from any regional jurisdiction, even shared jurisdiction.
In this division of powers, economic development remains under the jurisdiction of the autonomous region, with specific emphasis on its authority in regional economic planning, industrial development, and tourism. The Sahara will have the power to issue binding regulations to design its own tourism model, manage its energy and water infrastructure, and plan land use and urban development. This tourism autonomy means that the region will be able to directly lead its international promotion and manage its coastal resources.
This entire exercise of self-governance is framed within the principle of constitutional loyalty, obligating regional authorities to act in accordance with the unity of the State and national solidarity. However, the plan includes a safeguard clause that allows the State to temporarily suspend these powers in exceptional circumstances in the event of serious harm to the constitutional order or territorial integrity, always under a legally regulated procedure.
