"The projects can be integrated into the new vision of the National Initiative for Human Development and appended to the forthcoming programs of the regional and local councils, which now have significant resources and extensive powers," said HM the King in a speech delivered on Thursday to the Nation on the occasion of Throne Day.

 The sovereign noted that "all that has been achieved, no matter how significant it is, remains insufficient for our country, as long as there is a category of the population still living in dire conditions and feeling marginalized, notwithstanding what has already been done."

 "Indeed, despite the development our country has achieved, it makes me sad to see hardships endured by some of our fellow citizens in remote and isolated areas, in the Atlas and Rif mountains, in the desert and dry Saharan regions, in oases and in some coastal and inland villages," said the sovereign, adding that "I am aware of the gaps and deficits that have grown in these areas over the decades, despite all the efforts and initiatives undertaken."

 "It is true that this category is getting smaller and smaller, but I want to see to it that all citizens benefit from the nation’s wealth," the sovereign stressed.

 HM the King recalled that He instructed the Minister of Interior, who is in charge of territorial communities, to carry out a comprehensive field study aimed at identifying the needs of every douar and every region in terms of infrastructure and basic social services, such as education, health, water, electric power and rural roads. "The study was nationwide and covered more than 29,000 douars, under 1,272 local communities, all listed in a specific order of priority," the sovereign added.

 "Around 20,800 projects have also been screened. They target a population of more than 12 million people, living in over 24,000 douars, with an overall budget nearing 50 billion dirhams," HM the King underlined.

 The sovereign noted that all political and social reforms and all development initiatives are basically designed to preserve the dignity of citizens, insisting on the need to pause and look for innovative solutions that will enable that category to catch up with the others.

 In this regard, HM the King said that "the regionalization we want for our country must be the outcome of serious endeavors to find appropriate solutions for each region, adapted to its resources, characteristics, potential employment opportunities and development challenges."

 The region must become a hub for integrated, balanced development that achieves complementarity between the areas, cities and villages within the same region, thus contributing to halting the rural exodus, the monarch underlined.

 HM the King noted that this effort to improve the living conditions of citizens is not limited to rural and remote areas. It also targets suburbs and slums in urban areas, adding that the National Initiative for Human Development programs have been focusing on bridging social gaps in these places.