The third edition of the Mauritania-Moroccan Economic Forum was held on February 21 and 22 at the headquarters of the Diplomatic Academy of Nouakchott, with the participation of presidents of employers’ organizations and 300 business leaders from the two countries.
This event is intended to be an opportunity to define co-investment projects, particularly in key sectors such as agriculture, fishing, agri-food, energy, and infrastructure. As a reminder, Morocco is positioned as the leading African investor in Mauritania.
Jointly initiated by the National Union of Mauritanian Employers (UNPM) and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the forum brought together several ambassadors accredited in the two countries as well as the presidents of the two employers’ organizations, in addition to some 300 Mauritanian and Moroccan businessmen.
The main objective of this third forum is to intensify the partnership between the two neighboring nations. To achieve this ambition, the CGEM and the UNPM have set up a task force responsible for supporting the implementation of investment projects and ensuring their monitoring.
According to Hamid Chabar, Moroccan ambassador to Mauritania, trade between the two countries reached $300 million at the end of 2022, recording an increase of 58% compared to the previous year. However, fruits and vegetables only represent 23% of these exchanges.
For his part, Chakib Alj, president of the CGEM, considers that this forum marks a decisive step after the first two editions, having made it possible to identify investment opportunities. He anticipates that the next forum will be held in two years.
Along the same lines, Abdelaziz Taariji, president of the Morocco-Mauritania Business Forum, said he was studying with Mauritanian partners the prospect of developing cooperation in the field of agriculture.
Once cooperation opportunities have been identified, Mauritanian and Moroccan businessmen will have to move on to the next stage, that of carrying out the projects.
