Draa-Tafilalet
2.8% of GDP; 1.5% growth (2023); GDP per capita MAD 25,000 (lowest tier); 2,116 new businesses (2024); desertification challenges; tourism potential.
Draa-Tafilalet contributed just 2.8% of Morocco's GDP in 2023 with growth of only 1.5%—well below national average. GDP per capita at MAD 25,000 is three times lower than Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab (MAD 89,000). The region registered 2,116 new businesses in 2024. Agriculture and pastoralism traditionally dominated but face increasing desertification. For traditionally nomadic Amazigh pastoralists, environmental change exacerbates long-standing inequities, forcing adaptation. The region spans Morocco's southeast including Saharan landscapes. Tourism offers potential via desert and oasis attractions (Ouarzazate, Zagora, Errachidia). The region formed from merging former Draa-Tafilalet and Meknès-Tafilalet territories. Date palm cultivation in oases represents traditional agriculture. Limited industrial development compared to coastal regions constrains economic diversification.