Coastal Urban Futures: Land Grab, Relocation and Urban Infrastructure in Agadir, Morocco

Monday, August 3, 2026

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Mustapha Outbakat, PhD Candidate, Anthropology; 2026-27 Mosafer Centennial Fund for Near Eastern Scholars

Image: Morocco, Agadir: marina. Sir James via Wikimedia Commons; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.

This research examines how tourism-driven urbanization and the expansion of agribusiness have transformed the lives of Indigenous communities in the Anza, Drarga, and Ait Toukt districts of Agadir, Morocco. It investigates the interconnected roles of global capital, commercial agriculture, tourism development, and land acquisition in reshaping patterns of land ownership and resource access, often resulting in the displacement and marginalization of Indigenous populations. By analyzing these overlapping economic and spatial processes, the project illuminates the social, economic, and environmental consequences of development for Indigenous livelihoods in southern Morocco. During his research trip supported by the Mosafer fellowship, Outbakat conducted the final stretch of his year-long fieldwork in Agadir.