Safest cities in Western Sahara
1 city with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
Areas the UK FCDO advises against visiting
- Areas in Western Sahara within 40km North and West of ‘the Berm’ boundary line, including the city of Es Semara
- Areas in Western Sahara the territory south and east of ‘the Berm’ boundary line
In full or in part — the official advisory lists exact boundaries and exceptions.
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in Western SaharaTerrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Western Sahara.
Political situation
- Western Sahara is on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories and the subject of a UN-mediated dispute. The UN Peacekeeping mission for Western Sahara, MINURSO, has been operating in the country since 1991. A ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front broke down in 2020. Irregular skirmishes continue to take place between the 2 sides,…
Laws and cultural differences
- RamadanRamadan is a holy month for Muslims. The dates vary by year and country, so check when Ramadan is in Western Sahara before you go. During this time, do not:
- Laws against religious conversionIt is illegal to attempt to convert any Muslim to another faith or to distribute evangelical literature, such as Arabic-language bibles. Attempting to convert a Muslim to another faith is punishable by fines or up to 3 years in prison.
- Sexual relations outside of marriageSexual activity between unmarried people and adultery are illegal – this includes sharing a hotel room.
- LGBT+ travellersSame-sex sexual activity is illegal. Be sensitive to local laws and customs and avoid showing affection in public. Complaints can lead to prosecution.
- Women travellersWomen may receive unwanted attention from men, especially when travelling alone. Consider wearing loose-fitting clothing which cover the arms, legs and chest. See advice for women travelling abroad.
- Alcohol lawsLicensed hotels, restaurants and bars serve alcohol in tourist areas. Drinking alcohol in the street or anywhere other than licensed premises is illegal and can lead to arrest.
Transport risks
- Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Western Sahara, see information on driving abroad.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Western Sahara, updated 2026-06-29 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- no data
- Income inequality
- no data
- Human development
- no data
- Income
- no dataGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- no dataWHO
- Political stability
- no dataWGI · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- no dataWGI
- Corruption perceptions
- no dataTransparency Intl · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- no dataEU INFORM · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- no dataGIWPS · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- no dataPM2.5 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- no dataof population · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- no datahospital beds: no data
How Western Sahara compares
| Measure | Western Sahara | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | no data | 2.4 /100k | — |
| Income inequality (Gini) | no data | 35.2 | — |
| Human development (HDI) | no data | 0.763 | — |
| Road deaths | no data | 15.4 /100k | — |
| Rule of law | no data | 52/100 | — |
| Corruption perceptions | no data | 39/100 | — |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | no data | 19.7 µg/m³ | — |
| Natural-hazard risk | no data | 3.8/10 | — |
| Measure | Western Sahara | Africa median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | no data | 4.5 /100k | — |
| Income inequality (Gini) | no data | 38.5 | — |
| Human development (HDI) | no data | 0.561 | — |
| Road deaths | no data | 28.0 /100k | — |
| Rule of law | no data | 42/100 | — |
| Corruption perceptions | no data | 31/100 | — |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | no data | 27.5 µg/m³ | — |
| Natural-hazard risk | no data | 5.3/10 | — |
Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.
All 1 cities, safest first
- Dakhlan/a · #6121 worldwide