Morocco's Ministry of Equipment and Water has launched an international tender for the construction of the Falit dam in Figuig province, in the country's southeast. The project, led by the ministry's Hydraulic Development Directorate, carries an estimated cost of 428 million dirhams (approximately $46.5 million) and is scheduled for commissioning around 2029-2030.
The dam will be built on the Mouloudah river, north of the town of Bouarfa, using roller-compacted concrete technology. The structure will stand 59 metres tall and hold up to 25 million cubic metres of water. Its flood management system is designed to discharge up to 28 cubic metres per second and drain the reservoir completely within 15 days if required.
The infrastructure will serve three purposes: supplying drinking water, supporting agricultural irrigation, and providing flood protection — a combination particularly relevant to Figuig, a region characterised by infrequent but intense rainfall events. Hydrological assessments show average annual inflows of 10.3 million cubic metres at the site, with peaks reaching 40.8 million cubic metres.
The tender comes as Morocco's water reserves outlook has improved markedly. National dam filling rates reached 76% in late May, with reservoirs holding 12.93 billion cubic metres — nearly double the volume recorded at the same point in 2025. However, the recovery remains uneven: the Draa Oued Noun basin stood at just 38.17% and Souss Massa at 54.53%, underscoring the need for targeted infrastructure in arid regions such as Figuig.
The project forms part of Morocco's 2020-2027 National Programme for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation. The Figuig region is also home to the Kheng Grou dam, a much larger undertaking with a projected capacity of 1.07 billion cubic metres and currently 71% complete, while a further structure at Jbel Lakhal is expected to enter construction around 2028.
