Winds and waves: Tourism takes off in disputed Western Sahara

Kitesurfers are flocking to the windswept beaches of Western Sahara, attracted by some of the best conditions in North Africa. Once largely overlooked, the region is slowly emerging as a niche tourism hotspot, even as it remains a disputed territory claimed by both Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, backed by Algeria. Visitors are discovering pristine coastline and challenging waters, bringing fresh attention – and new tensions – to this politically sensitive desert region.