Benguerir

Pre-colonial period

Benguerir was originally founded as a weekly Tuesday market (souk) known as Souq Tlat Ibn Jarir (Arabic: ثلاث بن جرير), by an individual, most probably a merchant, from the Hilalian tribe of Oulad Jarir, who regularly travelled between Fez and Marrakesh for trade, named Ibn Jarir. The precise date of its foundation remains unknown. The market acted as a crossroad between Marrakesh, Fez and Atlantic ports (like Safi and El Jadida). Its site was selected because of its flat terrain, accessible groundwater, proximity to established tribes and position along a protected historic caravan route secured by rest posts (nzayil, Arabic: نزائل). The site also functioned as a neutral meeting ground between tribes, without territorial dispute, as the founder was not a member of the local Rahamna factions. The founder was neither a Sufi saint (wali) nor is there a tomb (darih) or religious lodge (zawiya) associated with the site.^[2]

During the reigns of sultans Hassan I and Abdelaziz, the Makhzen actively invested in the Rehamna region's pastoral economy. Documents from the Hassani archives show the Makhzen supplied local tribal leaders with work animals in the late 19th century.^[2]

French protectorate (1912-1956)

In August 1912, French military units under Colonel Charles Mangin mobilized south from Mechra Ben Abbou through Skhour Rhamna to suppress the anti-colonial uprising led by Ahmed al-Hiba. On the 29th of August 1912, Mangin's expeditionary column engaged Ahmed al-Hiba's forces at Benguerir, routing the southern detachment and securing the forward approach toward Marrakesh. French military records officially designated the action of 29 August 1912 as the Benguerir Affair (French: Affaire de Ben Guerir) a key engagement preceding the decisive Battle of Sidi Bou Othmane on the 6th of September 1912.^[8] Under the French Protectorate, the colonial administration governed the Rehamna region through Caid El-Hajj El-Ayyadi ben El-Hachemi, who allied with General Hubert Lyautey to control the northern entrance to Marrakesh. Caid El-Ayyadi established a fortified estate and residence in Benguerir, maintaining administrative coordination with French officials.^[9]

The water source of the original souk was absorbed into the railway grounds in the early 20th century to build a water tower servicing the stations and early municipal offices. The town was documented in French Protectorate writings.^[2] Benguerir developed as a regional rail stop following the expansion of Morocco's standard-gauge network, with the final rail junction connecting Casablanca to Marrakesh completed through the town in 1928.^[10] In 1932, the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Maroc completed the standard-gauge railway line branching west from Benguerir to the port of Safi, transforming the town into a junction.

Post-independence

In 1980, the Benguerir mine, managed by OCP Group, entered production.^[11]

The launch of the Casablanca–Marrakesh expressway in 2008 hurt the city's economy.^[12] In 2018, a new train station was built and replaced the smaller existing one.^[13] In 2026, the green corridor of Benguerir was set to undergo a transformation along a new section of its route, for a budget of approximately 22.5 million dirhams, as part of a 2024-2027 urban renewal and development program. Planned work includes landscaping, the creation and expansion of parking lots, sewer and stormwater drainage systems, new road markings and traffic signs, recreational areas, public restrooms, street furniture among other amenities, and improved solar-powered LED panels.^[14]

Rail

The Benguerir train station links the city to the rest of the Moroccan rail network, with trains running daily to all other major cities including a direct line to Safi through Youssoufia, another phosphate-rich town.^[15][16] In the framework of the Kenitra-Marrakech high speed rail line, a new "Benguerir Green City" train station is planned for construction, but the first call for tender was unsuccessful due to a lack of bidders, in part caused by a deficit in workforce and a rapid increase of ongoing construction projects.^[17] Benguerir is also planned to be linked to the future regional train network of the Rehamna region.^[18][19]

Road

Benguerir is linked to the Casablanca–Agadir A3 Highway.^[20]

Phosphate mining

The city is a major center for the extraction and processing of phosphate rock, primarily operated by the OCP Group, one of the world's largest phosphate exporters.^[27] The Benguerir mine, whose construction works began in 1974 and entered production in 1980, is the second largest phosphate deposit currently exploited by OCP Group in Morocco.^[28]

It contains estimated reserves of over 1.74 billion tons of phosphate rock distributed between the North Mine and the South Mine, and it is exploited entirely through open-pit mining using the direct discovery method with giant draglines and hydraulic excavators.^[29] The extracted ore is processed and enriched on site at the Benguerir washing plant, which has a capacity of 3 million tons per year, before being transported by rail (ONCF) to the chemical platform and the export port of Safi.^[30]

Mohammed VI Green City

In recent years, OCP has spearheaded efforts to develop Benguerir into a model green city, integrating sustainable urban planning and environmental practices, through the Mohammed VI Green City project (also referred to as the Benguerir Green City).^[31][32] It is a pilot ecological city with LEED-ND environmental certification, structured around a green corridor and sustainable urban planning. It is designed on an area of 900 hectares by the SADV (French: Société d'Aménagement et de Développement Vert, lit. 'Green Planning and Development Company') a subsidiary of OCP.^[32]