Ouarzazate Youth Face Job Crisis as Tourism Offers Only Seasonal Respite

The city of Ouarzazate, Morocco, known as the "Hollywood of Africa," grapples with a severe unemployment crisis, particularly affecting its youth. As summer temperatures rise, the conversation inevitably returns to the struggle for work, where tourism emerges as the sole, albeit temporary, lifeline for thousands seeking income.

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Seasonal tourism is the only savior for the youth in Ouarzazate province. The current job market situation in Ouarzazate does not bode well.

While tourism is the primary source of employment in the Ouarzazate province, leveraging its cinematic, natural, and historical assets, it remains a seasonal profession. Activity peaks between March and October, followed by a predictable downturn that leaves the city economically stagnant. This cyclical nature fails to provide the stability many young residents, including graduates, desperately need.

Despite significant potential in sectors like the "Noor" solar energy project and the film industry, these ventures have not generated sufficient permanent jobs for the local population. Consequently, many young people are compelled to migrate to larger cities in search of employment, exacerbating the region's economic isolation. This situation underscores the urgency of translating royal directives for integrated territorial development into tangible investment projects that create lasting job opportunities.

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We learned and trained for tourism, but we cannot build a future on a season.

Local guides like Abdel Hamid Bousaleh, 27, express frustration with the bureaucratic hurdles hindering the development of permanent job-creating projects. He notes that while the region is promoted for job opportunities, the reality on the ground, especially for youth, is starkly different. "We cannot build a future on a season," Bousaleh stated, adding that many friends consider migrating to Europe due to the lack of prospects in Ouarzazate. He emphasized that tourism accounts for 90 percent of current job openings, but these are largely temporary contracts.

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The authorities in the Ouarzazate province must find ways to reduce the unemployment rate and not be content with inaugurating projects that do not even provide a single job opportunity.

Mustafa Abouz, a tourism professional in Ouarzazate, echoed these concerns, calling for the establishment of major industrial projects to absorb the workforce. He highlighted the availability of skilled labor and industrial land, lamenting the lack of political will to attract investors in sectors like energy, food processing, and textiles. Abouz pointed out that investment applications remain unaddressed for months, while the summer influx of tourists creates a false impression of prosperity. "Ninety percent of young people work on temporary contracts not exceeding four months," he revealed, acknowledging the Ministry of Tourism's efforts to diversify offerings but stressing the need for more substantial, year-round employment solutions.

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Relying only on tourism has made the youth hostages of a single season.