Drâa-Tafilalet is one of the twelve regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 88,836 km2 and had a population of 1,655,623 as of the 2024 Moroccan census. The capital of the region is Errachidia.
Geography Drâa-Tafilalet is situated in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Its main watersheds are that of the Draa River in the west and the Ziz River, which irrigates the Tafilalt oasis, in the east. Drâa-Tafilalet borders five other Moroccan regions: Souss-Massa to the southwest, Marrakesh-Safi to the west, Béni Mellal-Khénifra to the northwest, Fès-Meknès to the north, and Oriental to the northeast. It also borders two of Algeria's provinces, Tindouf in the south and Béchar in the southeast.
History Drâa-Tafilalet was formed in September 2015 by integrating the provinces of Errachidia and Midelt in Meknès-Tafilalet region with three provinces of the Souss-Massa-Drâa region.
Government
Following the 2021 regional elections, Hro Abrou, a member of the National Rally of Independents, was elected president of the regional council. The current wali of the region is Essaid Zniber.
Subdivisions
Drâa-Tafilalet comprises five provinces:
Province Population (2024) Errachidia Province 427,572 Tinghir Province 323,805 Midelt Province 313,769 Ouarzazate Province 304,932 Zagora Province 285,545
Regional Leadership +Wali of Drâa-Tafilalet since 2015NamePosition heldUnderMohamed Fanid2015-2017King Mohammed VIMohamed Benribag2017-2019Yahdih Bouchaab2019-2024Essaid Zniber2024-present +Regional Council Presidents of Drâa-Tafilalet since 2015NamePosition heldPartyUnderLahbib Choubani2015-2021PJDKing Mohammed VIHro Abrou2021-presentRNI
Economy Agriculture and pastoralism have traditionally been major economic activities in the region, but they have been adversely impacted in recent years by increasing desertification. There is a filmmaking industry concentrated in the Ouarzazate area. The fortified towns in the area, such as the World Heritage Site Aït Benhaddou, are popular tourist attractions. Traditional arts and crafts such as the pottery of Tamegroute and the rugs of Taznakht are also significant to the local economy.
Infrastructure The largest towns in the region, Errachidia and Ouarzazate, are linked together by National Route 10. The Draa valley is served by National Route 9 which also links Ouarzazate with Marrakesh to the northwest. National Route 13 runs along the Ziz valley and links Errachidia with Meknes to the north. Ouarzazate has the busiest airport in the region; the airports at Errachidia and Zagora also have commercial service.
References