The American company General Electric has communicated to WSRW that they are no longer participating in the tender to construct two wind farms in occupied Western Sahara.
"After checking with our colleagues, we have determined that GE is not participating in the tender that is the subject of your email", stated the GE’s Corporate Ombudsperson’s’ Office on behalf of GE's Board of Directors.
The statement yesterday evening came as a reply to a letter WSRW sent to the company earlier that day. The letter outlined the organisation's concerns on GE's participation in a tender by the Moroccan government to construct five wind farms - two of which were located not in Morocco, but in the occupied territory of Western Sahara; in El Aaiun and in Boujdour.
With GE pulling out, there now remain 15 companies that are contending to win the bid. WSRW has on 2 and 3 July 2013 contacted all of them, asking them to refrain from building infrastructure on occupied land.
SRI update
The following overview enlists stock-exchange registered companies with current or recent operations in occupied Western Sahara. Updated 9 March 2025.
VINCI reportedly involved in Minister's wind farm on occupied land
The French multinational will not respond to questions about its potential stake in a wind energy project in occupied Western Sahara in partnership with the Moroccan prime minister.
UAE billions to controversial hydrogen project on occupied land
The Belgian-related UAE company Dahamco is to invest several billion dollars in a highly problematic energy project on occupied territory.
EU Court rejects Commission’s Western Sahara rewrite
The EU Court of Justice has dismissed the European Commission's request to rectify specific paragraphs in its 2024 rulings, as it questions whether the majority of the people of Western Sahara live outside of the territory.