MEDIA7
September 2, 2023
A shadow hangs over the destiny of the real estate of many citizens of Rabat, while the new urban development project continues to raise more questions than answers. Faced with the uncertainty surrounding this major project, the affected residents are becoming increasingly worried.
The Enigma of the Rabat Development Project
The Moroccan metropolis of Rabat is rocked by controversy as the urban development project progresses. According to our sources, even members of the capital's Municipal Council remain in the dark about the fate of their fellow citizens' real estate.
"We are in a complete fog. This project seems deliberately complex, as if it had been designed to test the patience of citizens," said a councilor of the municipal majority.
Developed by the Rabat-Salé Urban Agency, this large-scale project has not received much approval from the municipal majority.
Asked by Hespress, a source who prefers to remain anonymous revealed that the experts responsible for responding to citizens' concerns have no visibility on the progress or prospects of the project.
"The mayor was forced to organize a study day and summon the heads of the Urban Agency in order to provide the necessary information and clarifications to public opinion," our source said.
According to the same source, the project has caused considerable unrest and indignation within the district councils where it will be implemented. Local officials have no information to pass on to citizens who are worried about their real estate.
The opposition within the Rabat Community Council is not far behind and is in turn criticizing the way the mayor is handling this issue.
Omar El-Hiyani, advisor to the Federation of the Democratic Left (FGD), said that "the development plan is ambiguous, the officials do not seem to want to reveal their cards."
Those concerned argue that this ambiguity persists in the project because the real decision-maker is the State, represented by the regional jurisdiction, and that the role of the Municipal Council does not go beyond approving the development project. However, the Mayor of Rabat affirmed that the Council scrupulously follows the legal procedures imposed on it.
As affected citizens continue to wonder about the fate of their properties, wondering whether they will be demolished to make way for public projects or moved outside the city.
Rabat Mayor Asma Rhlalou said the rehabilitation plan "does not include any demolition, and the rumors about it are only intended to disturb the peace of citizens, nothing more."
However, she also stressed that it was "impossible to satisfy everyone, because some projects will be implemented for the good of Rabat, the capital of lights, and the public interest must be taken into account."
Asmae Rhlalou added that the role of the Municipal Council is exercised in accordance with a well-defined legal procedure. It all begins with the opening of a register to collect the opinions and proposals of citizens, followed by the presentation of the plan drawn up by the Urban Development Agency for discussion and approval. The situation remains tense in Rabat, where citizens continue to seek answers to their growing concerns about the future of their real estate.
