So far, no oil and gas have been discovered in Western Sahara. Two exploration licences are today operated by foreign companies, both from Israel, both offshore.
The French company Engie has since 2023 been installing windmills in occupied Western Sahara for a massive project that would lead to the large-scale settlement of Moroccan farmers in the occupied territory.
For the eleventh year in a row, Western Sahara Resource Watch publishes a detailed, annual overview of the companies involved in the purchase of conflict phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
For the first time, Portugal is the biggest exporter of gas products into occupied Western Sahara.
The French government intends to finance a cable that will transport energy from Morocco's illegal projects in occupied Western Sahara to Morocco proper.
The following overview enlists stock-exchange registered companies currently operating in Western Sahara. Updated 6 May 2024.
The two Spanish companies that are exporting practically all petroleum into occupied Western Sahara remain non-communicative.
How can it be wrong to develop renewable energy, in a world that is in desperate need for a green transition? In Western Sahara, the problems are numerous.
The Advocate General of the EU’s top Court backs the legal status of the people of Western Sahara. Final Judgment expected in a few months.
Labelling those products as originating in the Kingdom of Morocco instead of originating in Western Sahara breaches EU law, the Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice concludes.
After undertaking work for the Moroccan state phosphate company in Western Sahara, the Danish consultancy giant COWI states that it “will not engage in further projects" in the occupied territory.
An external evaluation report on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement 2019-2023 confirms that the agreement revolves, in its entirety, around Western Sahara.
At the company’s Annual General Meeting on 26 February 2024, Siemens Energy’s board could not rule out any further projects in occupied Western Sahara.
The WSRW report P for Plunder 2023 to be published in April 2023 will contain information on all vessels that departed occupied Western Sahara from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022.
A subsidiary of US company General Electric is partnering with the government of Morocco for an infrastructure project in the illegally occupied Western Sahara.
WSRW has never received a response that politically propagated the occupation to the degree as the one received from a French campaigner for Morocco on behalf of renewable energy company HDF Energy.
WSRW has been invited to contribute to an EU Commission document on trade with Moroccan interests in occupied Western Sahara. This is why we reject taking part.
Half of Moroccan shellfish exporters approved for export into the EU, are in fact located in occupied Western Sahara.
Morocco has for six years avoided directing plunder vessels via South Africa, whose courts have ruled the phosphate plunder of occupied Western Sahara to be illegal. First test is taking place now.
The Erasmus+ financed youth exchange that was supposed to take place in Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara, has reportedly been moved.
The Norwegian government pension fund has announced that it has excluded Delek Group from its portfolio due to its petroleum exploration offshore occupied Western Sahara.
A project supported by the EU Commission's Erasmus+ programme is to send European youth to “North Africa” - but without informing them that they are lured into normalising the illegal occupation of Western Sahara.
Saharawi civil society voices concern over Morocco's gigaplans for renewable energy in occupied Western Sahara during COP28 climate summit and to UN special rapporteur.
As leaders, businesses and civil society from all over the world gather for climate talks in Dubai, one people remains basically unrepresented.
The German government has clarified that its financial support for Siemens Energy will include a provision excluding the firm’s projects in “Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara”.
French HDF Energy announces its partnership in gigantic green hydrogen production project in occupied Western Sahara.
Companies that want to be perceived as taking human rights responsibly, should not bid on a large tender that will connect Morocco's illegal energy production in Western Sahara to the Moroccan grid, WSRW warns.
Morocco must immediately release a group of leading human rights defenders, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention demands.
Up to 81% of all land that the Moroccan government has allocated for new, gigantic plans for renewable energy, green hydrogen and ammonia, is located outside of Morocco's international borders, in occupied Western Sahara.
On 23 and 24 October, the EU Court of Justice will hear the parties to the cases on applying EU-Morocco agreements to occupied Western Sahara.
A Norwegian-controlled ship is now offloading Chinese wind turbines in the Canary Islands. Grieg Maritime says that its routines did not detect that the mills were to be installed in occupied Western Sahara.
The controversial assessment that Global Diligence did on occupied Western Sahara for a project that will employ thousands of Moroccan settlers need to be released by French company Engie, WSRW demands in a letter.
Throughout its impact studies, relations with the Moroccan government and partners, and a recent announcement of arrival of windmills to occupied Western Sahara, Engie has shown a total disregard for the UN's approach to the conflict.
This week, the first components that will be used for Engie' highly problematic windmill programme in Western Sahara have arrived to the occupied territory.
Images have appeared of highly controversial windmills on Canary Islands, in transit for Engie's project in occupied Western Sahara.
The German insurance company Allianz goes all in when it politically defends the brutal Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.
Western Sahara republic expresses wish to be included in UN-led climate governance.
A private Chinese battery manufacturer denies rumours from the Moroccan government that it had planned gigantic and potentially highly controversial investments in occupied Western Sahara.
The Swedish truck company Scania, part of Volkswagen, offers services in occupied Western Sahara.
The controversial 300 MW Boujdour wind farm - owned by Enel and supplied by Siemens Gamesa - has been commissioned in occupied Western Sahara.
The Western Sahara republic yesterday announced the signing of a new onshore mineral exploration licence.
The UN recognised representation of the people of Western Sahara is today meeting with Canary fishermen to explore continued fishing opportunities as the EU-Moroccan fisheries are coming to an end.
Swedish fishing vessels are being exported to occupied Western Sahara.
From early May, the Royal Air Maroc ran a propaganda campaign in Strasbourg selling trips to the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
The French company Alcatel has been observed working on the telecom cables into the occupied territory.
French telecom company Orange is proud to finance business opportunities in the Moroccan kingdom's ”southern provinces", praying that “may God assist His Highness, the Moroccan king”.
NewMed's gas exploration licence offshore occupied Western Sahara is "illegal”, Polisario lashes out in a release.
Another controversial wind farm - Aftissat II - is about to be finalised in occupied Western Sahara.
The French insurance company has posted a video of its local leaders having a wonderful time in the occupied territory.
Morocco's illegal exports of phosphate rock through a controversial conveyor belt has been targeted by what is claimed to be a bomb.