🇲🇷Mauritania
Iron ore, gold, offshore gas, one of the world's richest fishing zones and green hydrogen potential among the best on the planet. Mauritania speaks Arabic and looks naturally towards the Gulf.
Economic overview
Mauritania is a vast desert country of 5 million people, a link between the Maghreb and West Africa, a member of the Arab League and Arabic-speaking. Its economy rests on Zouérate iron ore, mined since the 1960s and carried by the world's longest train to Nouadhibou, on gold from the Tasiast mine and a booming artisanal sector, and on fisheries in some of the Atlantic's richest waters.
Two projects are changing scale. The Grand Tortue Ahmeyim gas field, shared with Senegal, has produced since 2025 and brings the country into the ranks of LNG exporters. And Mauritania has attracted several green hydrogen mega-projects, driven by exceptional sun and wind over thousands of square kilometres of coastal desert.
The UAE is a privileged partner, with sovereign investment, major financing and close cooperation. The country is stable, reformist and seeks to diversify its economy into irrigated agriculture, livestock, Saharan tourism and services.
Why invest in Mauritania
Grand Tortue Ahmeyim gas
A major gas field in production, shared with Senegal, creating an LNG and services industry.
Green hydrogen
Exceptional wind and sun, coastal desert land: several international mega-projects announced for export to Europe.
Iron ore and gold
Zouérate iron mines, the Tasiast gold mine, fast-rising artisanal production exported to Dubai.
An Arabic-speaking bridge
Language and culture shared with the Gulf, Arab League membership, close diplomatic relations with the UAE.
Strategic sectors
Gas, hydrogen, solar, wind
LNG, green hydrogen, renewable plants and associated services.
Iron ore, gold, copper, phosphates
Mining, gold buying houses, trading and new licences.
Processing
Fishmeal and fish oil plants, freezing and export.
Camels, cattle, sheep
Meat, camel milk and export to the Gulf.
Port, roads, energy
Nouakchott port, corridor to Mali, electrification.
Nouakchott
Housing, hospitality and offices in a growing capital.
Opportunities for UAE investors
Privileged relations with the UAE: sovereign investment and close cooperation.
- Hydrogen and renewables
Participation in mega-projects and their value chain.
- Gold to Dubai
Licensed buying houses, compliant trading and refining.
- Fisheries
Processing and export to the Gulf and Asia.
- Livestock
Meat and dairy products for the Gulf market.
- Real estate
Hospitality and residences in Nouakchott.
Risks and how we manage them
5 million people. Projects target export.
Desert and drought. Projects include desalination and irrigation.
The artisanal sector carries risks. We work only with documented flows.
Roads and power are limited outside the main axes.
Legal framework and ties with the UAE
Investing in Mauritania
- Investment Code with free zones, including Nouadhibou.
- APIM: investment promotion agency, one-stop shop.
- Mining code and hydrocarbons code.
- Recognised international arbitration.
- Investment protection agreements with the UAE.
The Dubai connection
- UAE sovereign investment and major financing.
- Nouakchott–Dubai via Casablanca or Istanbul.
- Dubai as the market for Mauritanian gold.
- Close diplomatic and economic relations.
Dubai as your operating base
For a UAE investor, Mauritania is best worked from Dubai. The city offers the tools that are often missing on the ground: a Free Zone holding company to carry the stake, banks used to African flows, a recognised international arbitration framework, tax treaties and investment protection agreements, and regular flights to the continent. For an entrepreneur or institution from Mauritania, Dubai is symmetrically the gateway to Gulf capital, commodity buyers and Asian industrial partners. ABC Consultancy sits in the middle of that bridge: we know both shores and we speak to both.
How ABC Consultancy supports you
A confidential 45-minute call to understand your objectives, ticket size, horizon and risk appetite. We tell you whether the project makes sense before going any further.
A written note that sets the perimeter: sector, deal format, partners to target, timeline, study budget and deliverables. It serves as the engagement contract.
Identification of partners, assets and institutional counterparts on the ground. Every counterparty is checked: titles, management, track record, reputation, ongoing disputes.
Meetings with authorities, partners and sites. We prepare, accompany and translate every exchange, then produce a decision-ready report.
Legal and financial set-up between Dubai and the country with our partner lawyers and auditors: holding, joint venture, shareholder agreement, commercial contracts, full due diligence.
Governance, reporting, relations with the authorities, renewal of approvals. We remain your trusted contact for as long as the transaction lives.
Who we work with
UAE funds and family offices
You want exposure to Mauritania with a reliable local partner and a Dubai holding structure. We source, vet and structure.
Industrial groups and traders
You need to secure a supply chain, a plant or a commercial outlet in Mauritania. We organise the mission, the approvals and the contracts.
Local institutions and companies
You represent a ministry, an agency or a company from Mauritania and are looking for capital and partners in the Gulf. We prepare your file and open the doors.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mauritania an African or an Arab market?
Both: a member of the Arab League and the African Union, Arabic- and French-speaking, it gives access to the Maghreb as well as West Africa.
Nouakchott or Nouadhibou?
Nouakchott for administration, real estate and services; Nouadhibou for fisheries, iron ore, the free zone and hydrogen.
What is the minimum ticket to invest in Mauritania with ABC Consultancy?
There is no fixed threshold: it depends on the sector and the format. An equity stake in a energy project runs into millions of dollars, whereas a trading or real estate operation can start much lower. In the first conversation we tell you honestly whether your budget allows a serious transaction.
How long does a transaction take?
Expect three to six months between the scoping note and signature for a trading or real estate operation, and nine to eighteen months for a mining project requiring approvals, in-depth due diligence and structured financing.
How is ABC Consultancy paid?
Through engagement fees set in the scoping note, possibly completed by a success fee at signing. We never take hidden remuneration from a counterparty: our only loyalty is to you.
Do I need a Dubai company to invest in Mauritania?
It is not mandatory, but it is often the best solution: a Free Zone holding carries the stake, benefits from tax treaties and protection agreements, and repatriates dividends within a clear framework. We set it up with you.
A project in Mauritania ?
Describe it in a few lines. We get back to you within 48 hours for a first confidential conversation.
Or directly: WhatsApp +971 545 995 343 · contact@africabusiness.club