Minister of Health and Social Protection Amine Tahraoui inaugurated on Saturday in Dakhla the headquarters of the African Academy of Health Sciences (AAHS), the first completed structure of the vast Mohammed VI International University Hospital Complex (CHUIM6) in Dakhla, set to become one of the most important centers for medical training and innovation in Africa.
Inaugurated in the presence of Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Azeddine El Midaoui, Minister of Public Health, Population, and Social Affairs of the Republic of Niger Garba Hakimi, Deputy Director of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health (FM6SS) Prof. Youns Bjijou, and President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Regional Council El Khattat Yanja, this Academy, built on an area of nearly 1,350 m², includes a conference center with a capacity of 100 seats, meeting rooms, administrative offices, and a boardroom.
Subsequently, the Minister of Health and Social Protection and the accompanying delegation visited the Mohammed VI Congress Center, which is also part of this complex. With a capacity of 600 seats, this center, now ready for use, is intended to host conferences and meetings to be held by health experts and professionals.
In a statement to MAP, Prof. Jaâfar Heikel, project manager at the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health, emphasized that the new Academy constitutes “a strategic lever” for strengthening the continent’s health sovereignty, in accordance with the High Guidelines of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
This structure will bring together African expertise on major health system issues, focusing on all aspects of health sovereignty, including primary care, prevention, infrastructure, research, and training for future generations of professionals, he explained.
The inauguration of this facility is part of the overall progress on the CHUIM6 project in Dakhla, which brings together medical, academic, residential, and sports facilities spread across several hubs.
Work on these structures is progressing steadily, with a completion rate of 60% for the Mohammed VI Faculty of Medicine, the Mohammed VI School of Health Sciences Engineering (90%), the Mohammed VI Faculty of Nursing and Health Professions (75%), and the Mohammed VI International Center for Simulation in Health Sciences (60%).
As for the progress of construction work on the Mohammed VI International University Hospital in Dakhla, it is currently 50% complete. Boasting a capacity of 308 beds, this hospital includes 14 operating rooms as well as apartments for families. The complex also has student residences with a capacity of 600 beds, a university restaurant, and a sports center.
A visionary project serving Morocco and Africa, the Mohammed VI International University Hospital Complex in Dakhla reflects the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health’s desire to build an integrated and sustainable model serving patients, research, and high-level medical training.
MAP: 29 November 2025
