Rabat, a once-sleepy city cradled by the Bouregreg River, has had a wake-up call. The vast urbanisation projects in the Moroccan political capital herald a new rhythm for the two million inhabitants of greater Rabat as they put up with the traffic jams, hoping that their everyday lives will be greatly improved.
The first improvement was the tramway, launched in 2007 with over 3bn dirhams ($400m) of investment, which will link the outer neighbourhoods of Rabat and Salé to ministries, universities and hospitals over a 20km track. The work is due to be completed within the next couple of months.
A rundown area despite its prestigious past, Salé is separated from Rabat by the river. The construction of the Moulay El Hassan Bridge, the spinal cord of the Bouregreg Valley management project, is giving colour back to the neighbourhood. It may go so far as to break down the differences in the relationship between the two urban poles – and the disparity in the amount of care lavished on them. In the past decade, the population of Salé has grown from 630,000 to 825,000.
The Oudayas tunnel, a 490m dirham link between the old medina in Salé and the Kasbah of the Oudayas, is another part of the greater Rabat story. Next door is the new urban development of Bab Al Bahr, which is alongside the Bouregreg Marina in the heart of Salé, whose construction has been suspended during the restructuring of United Arab Emirate property developer Sama Dubai. The project will eventually feature a residential complex, a business zone, shopping units and a marina.
A new dynamic is in place around the river, complete with modern architecture, as the small fishing port of Salé has already been moved.
Around $3.8bn is being spent to give the capital of the kingdom a new face, to help resolve traffic problems and to develop the local economy, while trying to safeguard the environment and cultural history of the city. The overall project is being run by the Agence pour l’Aménagement de la Vallée du Bouregreg, a centralised state body – stealing the limelight from Rabat and Salé municipal authorities.
via Christelle Marot
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