El Marsa, Western Sahara

El Marsa Arabic: المرسى is a port city in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.^[1]

El Marsa
City
Fishing port of El Marsa
Coordinates: 27°04′N 13°24′W
Non-self-governing territory	Western Sahara
Claimed by	Kingdom of Morocco Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Controlled by	Kingdom of Morocco
Area
• Total	27.2 km2 (10.5 sq mi)
Population  (2024)[citation needed]
• Total	28,848
• Density	1,100/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+5

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
2004	10,229	—
2014	17,917	+75.2%
2024	28,848	+61.0%

According to the Moroccan authorities, El Marsa belongs to Laayoune Province in the region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra. Its population in 2024 is 28,848,^[2] the second-largest in the province (behind the regional capital El Aaiún) and third in the region.^[3] It has a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean and therefore is also known as Laayoune Plage (El Aaiún Beach). The town also has a hospital.

El Marsa is to the west of El Aaiún, on the N1, Morocco's main highway, which also goes into the Western Sahara, where it is the last settlement south until Boujdour.