Morocco-Mauritania: Businessmen Pushing for Stronger Economic Partnership

About one hundred Mauritanian companies took part Tuesday in Casablanca in the 2nd Moroccan-Mauritanian economic forum, a platform seeking to enhance dialogue and contacts between the business communities of the two countries.

Organized by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the National Union of Mauritanian Employers (UNPM), the forum was an opportunity for entrepreneurs to discuss joint ventures and partnership projects in agriculture, energy, agri-food business, pharmaceutical industry and finance.

In her opening address, Moroccan Minister of Economy & Finance Nadia Fettah Alaoui said the meeting has enabled the two countries’ businessmen to meet in person after the Covid-19 restrictions and explore joint investment opportunities offered in various sectors.

For his part, Chakib Alj, President of CGEM, urged Moroccan and Mauritanian companies to invest in sustainable and innovative agriculture to mitigate the impacts of climate change and drought on the two countries’ economies.

Investors of both countries showed interest in other sectors such as fisheries, energy, agribusiness and health.

“Mauritania has a new investment code which aims to attract more investors in various sectors,” said Mr. Mohamed Zeine El Abidine Sheikh Ahmed, President of UNPM.

He also affirmed that his country has huge untapped natural resources and intends to develop its industry, inviting Moroccan economic operators to capitalize on the investment opportunities.

To give new impetus to Moroccan-Mauritanian partnership, Chairman of CGEM stressed the need to improve the logistics, roads and transportation infrastructures for the development of intra-African trade through the Dakar-Nouadhibou-Nouakchott-Casablanca axis.