It is inhabited almost exclusively by employees of phosphate company Phosboucraa, a subsidiary of Morocco's OCP Group.

Historically located in the Saguia el-Hamra region, Bou Craa is the site of a phosphate deposit of over 1.7 billion tons.

[citation needed] The town became part of the Moroccan-controlled zone in the April 1976 partition resulting from the Madrid Accords.

[1] Today, the mine produces around 3 million tonnes annually, which represents 10% of Morocco's total production.

Approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) long, the belt is the longest in the world and dust blown from it is visible from space.