Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab

Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab (Arabic: الداخلة - وادي الذهب, romanized: ad-dāḵla - wādī ḏ-ḏahab) is one of the twelve regions of Morocco.^[1] Before September 2015 it was known as Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (Arabic: وادي الذهب لكويرة). It is situated in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, considered by Morocco to be the southern part of the country. The Polisario Front and other independence-seeking Sahrawis consider this to be a part of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The United Nations and most countries do not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the area.

Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab Region جهة الداخلة وادي الذهب
Region (disputed)
Seal
Location in territory claimed by Morocco
Coordinates: 23°0′N 15°0′W
Countries	Morocco Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Capital	Dakhla
Government
• Wali	Lamine Benomar
• President	Yanja El Khattat
Area
• Total	142,865 km2 (55,160 sq mi)
Population  (2024)
• Total	219,965
• Density	1.5/km2 (4.0/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
ISO 3166 code	MA-12

The region covers an area of 50,880 km² and had a population of 219,965 according to the 2024 Moroccan census.^[2] The capital is the coastal city of Dakhla, formerly known as Villa Cisneros.

The region comprises two provinces:^[3]

History

On 15 December 2023, the Polisario Front carried out an operation in the Aousserd Province of the region, dropping four explosive projectiles 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) away from residential areas but did not leave any casualties.^[4][5][6]

Subdivisions

Provinces of Dakhla-Oued EdDahab

Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab consists of two provinces:

• Aousserd Province
• Oued Ed-Dahab Province