Laayoune

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Largest city of Western Sahara

title: "Laayoune" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["laayoune", "municipalities-of-morocco", "populated-places-in-laâyoune-province", "populated-places-in-western-sahara", "capitals-in-africa", "regional-capitals-in-morocco", "provincial-capitals-in-morocco", "populated-places-established-in-1938", "1938-establishments-in-the-spanish-empire", "1938-establishments-in-africa"] description: "Largest city of Western Sahara" topic_path: "geography/spain" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laayoune" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Largest city of Western Sahara ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Laayoune
native_name	ar
settlement_type	City
image_skyline	El Aaiún-Laâyoune Collage.png
image_caption	Left to right, top to bottom: Footprints on the sand, Place Mechouar, Street, Monumental Arch, Laayoune Cathedral
pushpin_map	Western Sahara#Africa
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Western Sahara
pushpin_relief	yes
subdivision_type	Non-self-governing territory
subdivision_name	Western Sahara
subdivision_type1	Claimed by
subdivision_name1	Morocco
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
subdivision_type2	Controlled by
subdivision_name2	Morocco
subdivision_type4	Region
subdivision_name4	Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra
subdivision_type5	Province
subdivision_name5	Laâyoune
established_title	Settled
established_date	1934
established_title2	Founded
established_date2	1938
founder	Antonio de Oro
area_total_sq_mi	95.68
area_total_km2	247.8
population_as_of	2014
population_footnotes
population_total	217732
population_density_sq_mi	auto
population_density_km2	auto
timezone	West Africa Time
utc_offset	+01:00
timezone_DST	(Not Observed)
coordinates
::

| official_name = Laayoune | other_name = | native_name = ar

Laayoune or El Aaiún (, ar , , ) is the largest city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, with a population of 271,344 in 2023. The city is the de jure capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, though it is under de facto Moroccan administration as occupied territory. The modern city is thought to have been founded by the Spanish captain Antonio de Oro in 1938. From 1958, it became the administrative capital of the Spanish Sahara, administered by the Governor General of Spanish West Africa.

In 2023, Laayoune is the capital of the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region administered by Morocco, it is still under the supervision of MINURSO, a UN mission.

The town is located south of the dry river of Saguia el-Hamra, where the old lower town constructed by Spanish colonists is located. The St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral was constructed during the Spanish period and is still active with a few Catholic missionaries.

History

Laayoune or El Aaiún are respectively the French and Spanish transliterations of one of the possible Romanized Maghrebi Arabic names for the city: Layoun, which could mean "the springs", in reference to the oases that furnish the town's water supply.

The city was founded by the Spanish captain Antonio de Oro in 1938 as a small military outpost, but quickly became the Spanish Sahara's administrative and political centre. The location was chosen for two reasons: the presence of water and the strategic military position the site offered. Its position on the banks of the Saguia el-Hamra river enabled good communication with the harbors of Tarfaya and Boujdour. The city underwent a period of rapid economic growth in the 1940s due to the discovery of vast deposits of phosphates at the Bou Craa site fuelling a phosphate industry.

The town was the scene of the Zemla Intifada that occurred on June 17, 1970, that culminated in a massacre, resulting in the deaths ranging from 2 to 11 people and hundreds injured.

After the Spanish withdrew in 1975, Laayoune, along with much of the rest of the Western Sahara, was annexed by Morocco. Since then, large numbers of Moroccans have moved to the city, and now outnumber the indigenous Sahrawis, who have gradually given up their traditional nomadic lifestyles.

The city has continued to develop rapidly and benefits of a desalinization plant. The city's rate of urbanization continues to outpace that of Morocco, though on most indicators of human development, it lags behind southern Morocco.

Climate

Laayoune has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), moderated by the Canary Current, with an average annual temperature just over 21 °C. |location = Laayoune (1991–2020) |single line = Y |metric first = y |Jan record high C = 32.9 |Feb record high C = 36.7 |Mar record high C = 39.8 |Apr record high C = 41.6 |May record high C = 46.2 |Jun record high C = 45.9 |Jul record high C = 46.6 |Aug record high C = 47.0 |Sep record high C = 45.0 |Oct record high C = 42.1 |Nov record high C = 36.9 |Dec record high C = 32.8 |year record high C = 47.0 | Jan high C = 22.7 | Feb high C = 23.6 | Mar high C = 25.1 | Apr high C = 25.3 | May high C = 26.3 | Jun high C = 27.9 | Jul high C = 29.8 | Aug high C = 31.0 | Sep high C = 30.2 | Oct high C = 28.9 | Nov high C = 26.2 | Dec high C = 23.7 |year high C = 26.7 |Jan mean C = 17.3 |Feb mean C = 18.1 |Mar mean C = 19.5 |Apr mean C = 20.1 |May mean C = 21.3 |Jun mean C = 23.0 |Jul mean C = 24.8 |Aug mean C = 25.7 |Sep mean C = 24.9 |Oct mean C = 23.7 |Nov mean C = 20.9 |Dec mean C = 18.4 |year mean C = 21.5 | Jan low C = 11.8 | Feb low C = 12.8 | Mar low C = 14.1 | Apr low C = 15.1 | May low C = 16.3 | Jun low C = 18.1 | Jul low C = 19.7 | Aug low C = 20.4 | Sep low C = 19.7 | Oct low C = 18.4 | Nov low C = 15.6 | Dec low C = 13.0 |year low C = 16.2 |Jan record low C = 6.2 |Feb record low C = 6.9 |Mar record low C = 8.9 |Apr record low C = 10.5 |May record low C = 12.0 |Jun record low C = 13.6 |Jul record low C = 16.2 |Aug record low C = 16.0 |Sep record low C = 14.0 |Oct record low C = 12.3 |Nov record low C = 8.5 |Dec record low C = 7.0 |year record low C = 6.2 |precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 9.3 | Feb precipitation mm = 8.6 | Mar precipitation mm = 4.6 | Apr precipitation mm = 0.8 | May precipitation mm = 0.6 | Jun precipitation mm = 0.2 | Jul precipitation mm = 0.0 | Aug precipitation mm = 0.5 | Sep precipitation mm = 1.6 | Oct precipitation mm = 3.6 | Nov precipitation mm = 8.6 | Dec precipitation mm = 9.8 |year precipitation mm = 48.2 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 1.6 |Feb precipitation days = 1.5 |Mar precipitation days = 1.2 |Apr precipitation days = 0.2 |May precipitation days = 0.2 |Jun precipitation days = 0.1 |Jul precipitation days = 0.0 |Aug precipitation days = 0.1 |Sep precipitation days = 0.4 |Oct precipitation days = 0.9 |Nov precipitation days = 1.4 |Dec precipitation days = 1.5 |year precipitation days = 9.1 |Jan snow inch = |Feb snow inch = |Mar snow inch = |Apr snow inch = |May snow inch = |Jun snow inch = |Jul snow inch = |Aug snow inch = |Sep snow inch = |Oct snow inch = |Nov snow inch = |Dec snow inch = |year snow inch = |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = |Feb snow days = |Mar snow days = |Apr snow days = |May snow days = |Jun snow days = |Jul snow days = |Aug snow days = |Sep snow days = |Oct snow days = |Nov snow days = |Dec snow days = |year snow days = |Jan sun = 239.1 |Feb sun = 234.7 |Mar sun = 281.4 |Apr sun = 296.5 |May sun = 326.5 |Jun sun = 308.9 |Jul sun = 290.3 |Aug sun = 286.9 |Sep sun = 260.1 |Oct sun = 266.1 |Nov sun = 243.9 |Dec sun = 229.8 |year sun = 3264.2 |source 1 = NOAA (sun 1981-2010){{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231005212325/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Morocco/CSV/LAAYOUNE_60033.csv | archive-date = October 5, 2023 | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Morocco/CSV/LAAYOUNE_60033.csv | title = Laayoune Climate Normals 1991–2020 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = October 5, 2023}}{{cite web | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-I/Morocco/WMO_Normals_ASCII_60033.csv | title = WMO_Normals_ASCII_60033 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | accessdate = August 4, 2021 | archive-date = August 4, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210804082852/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-I/Morocco/WMO_Normals_ASCII_60033.csv | url-status = dead

Climate change

A 2019 paper published in PLOS One estimated that under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5, a "moderate" scenario of climate change where global warming reaches ~2.5-3 C-change by 2100, the climate of Laayoune in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of Alexandria. The annual temperature would increase by 1 C-change, and the temperature of the warmest month by 1.8 C-change, while the temperature of the coldest month would decrease by 0.1 C-change. According to Climate Action Tracker, the current warming trajectory appears consistent with 2.7 C-change, which closely matches RCP 4.5.

Demographics

| 1982 | 93,875 | 1994 | 136,950 | 2004 | 183,691 | 2014 | 217,732 | 2023 | 271,344 Laayoune has a population of 271,344 and is the largest city in Western Sahara.

Economy and status

The city is a hub for fishing and for phosphate mining in the region. In 2010, the country was negotiating a new fishing agreement with Europe over offshore fishing.

Sport

The football club of the city is Jeunesse Massira. The club plays in the Moroccan Second Division, the second highest football league in the country. Jeunesse Massira uses Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf for training and games.

Transport

Laayoune is served by the international Hassan I Airport.

Education

French school associated to the Alliance française was established in 2018, the city also includes a Spanish international school, Colegio Español La Paz, owned by the Spanish government.{{Cite news|last=Santana|first=Txema|date=2015-04-10|title=El colegio español en El Aaiún pide ciclo de secundaria|language=es|work=El País|url=https://elpais.com/politica/2015/04/10/actualidad/1428695751_759093.html|access-date=2023-02-07|issn=1134-6582|quote=Lagadaf Lahsen, presidente del AMPA del centro educativo, asegura que es “la única forma de evitar” que sus hijos “se vayan a otras ciudades de Marruecos o a Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, además de que no se pierda el español en el Sáhara”." and "[...]una instalación de 17.000 metros cuadrados que es propiedad del Estado español[...]

Diplomatic missions

On 18 December 2019, Comoros became the first nation to open a consulate in support of Moroccan claims to the region. In January 2020, Gabon opened also a general consulate. Later on, São Tomé and Príncipe, the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Burundi, Eswatini, Zambia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, also opened consulates in the city.

Gallery

File:Mosque moulay abd el aziz laayoune.jpg|Mosque of Moulay Abd el Aziz File:Laayoune Cathedral 2011.jpg|Spanish Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi File:Street view from Laayoune 2011.jpg|Avenue Mekka File:Monumental Arch, Laayoune.jpg|One entrance of the city File:Road to Laayoune Port.jpg|Road to El Marsa, the harbour of the city. File:Laayoune Bus Station.jpg|Laâyoune bus station.

References

(8 April 2015). "Population Légale des Régions, Provinces, Préfectures, Municipalités, Arrondissements et Communes du Royaume D'Après Les Résultats du 2014". [[Haut Commissariat au Plan.
"Laayoune". [[Oxford University Press]].
{{Cite Merriam-Webster. Laayoune
"Laâyoune". [[HarperCollins]].
(September 2022). "el-Aaiún". [[Oxford University Press]]}}{{dead link.
"El Aaiún". [[HarperCollins]].
(July 2025). "Population totale".
Francisco López Barrios. (2005-01-23). "El Lawrence de Arabia Español". [[El Mundo (Spain).
Norris, H. T.. (1964). "The Wind of Change in the Western Sahara". The Geographical Journal.
(2019). "Routledge Handbook on Middle East Cities". [[Routledge]].
Adrian Room. (1994). "African Placenames: Origins and Meanings of the Names for Over 2000 Natural Features, Towns, Cities, Provinces, and Countries". McFarland.
(10 July 2019). "Understanding climate change from a global analysis of city analogues". PLOS ONE.
"Cities of the future: visualizing climate change to inspire action".
"The CAT Thermometer".
"Western Sahara: Provinces & Urban Communes - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".
(4 November 2010). "Diplomacy over Western Sahara: 'Morocco v Algeria'". [[The Economist]].
(18 December 2019). "First foreign diplomatic post opens in Western Sahara".
(17 January 2020). "Gabon Opens Consulate General in Laayoune".
(23 January 2020). "Sao Tome and Principe Inaugurates Consulate General in Laayoune".
(23 January 2020). "Central African Republic Opens Consulate General in Laayoune".
(18 February 2020). "Cote d'Ivoire Opens General Consulate in Morocco's Laayoune".
(28 February 2020). "Burundi Opens General Consulate in Laayoune".
(27 October 2020). "Eswatini Opens Consulate General in Laayoune, Southern Morocco".
(27 October 2020). "Zambia Opens Consulate General in Morocco's Laayoune".
(4 November 2020). "UAE Officially Opens Consulate General in Morocco's Laayoune".
(14 December 2020). "Bahrain Opens Consulate General in Laayoune, Southern Morocco".

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