El Aaiún

El Aaiún, also known as Laayoune, is the main city of Western Sahara and the location of MINURSO’s headquarters. Western Sahara remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory whose final status is unresolved under the United Nations process. The city is administered by Morocco; this describes present administration rather than a determination of sovereignty.

Water supply connects the urban centre to coastal infrastructure and neighbouring settlements. A seawater desalination plant began delivering water in October 2022 to reinforce supplies to the city, El Marsa, Foum El Oued and Tarouma. The project included coastal boreholes, storage reservoirs, pumping stations and remote management. Together with groundwater production, these installations form the supply network serving the city and its surrounding area.