As we move along with our meetings in Mauritania, we find people as Moustapha Ould ABdalla, general director of Mauripost, who has been in his position for 10 years. Since it was founded in 1999 as the official post operator from the country, Mauritania has changed dramatically and, as in the rest of the world, transportation is key to development. Mauritanian Postal Company, know as Mauripost, is responsible for carrying out postal services between provincial capitals, doing out money transfers and orders, processing of mail checks, savings operations, and investment activities. Its activities are regulated by the Regulatory Authority. Mr. Moustapha Ould Abdallah, general director of Marital from the past 10 years has explained to us how much the country has changed during his period and how much it is expecting to grow in the upcoming years, after the huge gas discovery in October 2019. eBizguides Mauritania will portray Mauritania´s business and tourism as a whole including the most attractive sectors to invest and the places to visit and enjoy. It will also profile the top 100 companies and will include interviews with the top decision makers of the country. The guidebook is set to be published around February 2020 and will be distributed globally.

When you come to Mauritania there is one thing that will stand out above all the rest: its people. And this is specially true at Tfeila Hotel in Nouakchott. Once a Novotel, now is run by locals with a soul that impregnates the whole place. "Hospitality is natural to Mauritanians", says with a big smile Sidaty Mohamed Fall, General Director of the hotel. "We were naturally educated to be like this". The hotel, which is in the heart of the city, is also a meeting point for business meetings. It is the preferred hotel for the Government meetings and you can see how busy it is with people coming and going out of their meetings at the lobby of the hotel. "We have spacious rooms and a very well trained staff. We even train people here for other hotels", says Habib Jiddou, Explotation Director of Tfeila Hotel. The hotel also has a gym and a swimming pool and it is probably the biggest of the city with one of the most recognisable buildings of Nouakchott. Fervents believers of the importance of internationalising the image of their country, they believe eBizguides will make a difference once is published. "There is a lack of information of Mauritania outside our country, and that is one of the things we need to start changing now". eBizguides Mauritania will portray Mauritania´s business and tourism as a whole including the most attractive sectors to invest and the places to visit and enjoy. It will also profile the top 100 companies and will include interviews with the top decision makers of the country. The guidebook is set to be published around February 2020 and will be distributed globally.

The presence of Canary Islands business men and women in Mauritania has been steadily increasing for the past decade, but it is not until recently that both, the Islands and the African country, are creating stronger bounds build in the interest of both economies. "Canarias exports to Mauritania represent most of the total amount of exports of the islands. The Port of Las Palmas is working closely with Mauritanian Ports and even the new port has a director from the islands. The interest in developing tourism in the country could also be a major attraction for Canarian major hotel chains. However, sometimes the ignorance and sometimes the area instability cause alarms in the ears of the investors. But Mauritania is a sea of calm compared to some countries in the area", says Mar Naranjo, Special Representative of Canary Islands Foundation for International Actions. Naranjo, who has been in the country for one year, is already a believer. "We try to convince our people to come and invest to Mauritania and viceversa and we are working with the local governments to make it happen. A small hotel owned by two young entrepreneurs has recently opened in Nouakchott and the interest in Mauritania is growing by the day". eBizguides Mauritania will portray Mauritania´s business and tourism as a whole including the most attractive sectors to invest and the places to visit and enjoy. It will also profile the top 100 companies and will include interviews with the top decision makers of the country.. The guidebook is set to be published around February 2020 and will be distributed globally.

His Excellence Sidi Mohamed Mohamed Radhi, Consul General of Mauritania in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, knows very well how tight are the relations between Spain and his country. Starting in Gran Canaria that has a community of around 3,000 Mauritanians who live, work and invest there and bridging to Mauritania, where investors from Canary Islands are growing by the day. "Spain is the first commercial partner of Mauritania in Europe, but around 75% of that investment comes from the islands", says the Consul. There are agreements with the local authorities and Mauritania in many sectors. Starting with the fisheries, but moving to many different areas, Gran Canaria entrepreneurs have finally understood the potential of Mauritania. "Our priority is health", says the Consul. We need hospitals and medical devices in our country and for that I'm working with renown institutions in the islands like San Roque Hospital. eBizguides Mauritania will portray Mauritania´s business and tourism as a whole including the most attractive sectors to invest and the places to visit and enjoy. It will also profile the top 100 companies and will include interviews with the top decision makers of the country.. The guidebook is set to be published around February 2020 and will be distributed globally.

The tourism sector in Mauritania offers many possibilities for international investors and visitors. With an incredible sea line, the desert and the ancient cities and traditions, Mauritania has everything a country needs to boost tourism. Mohamed Mahmoud, General Director of the National Office of Tourism explains to eBizguides all the treasures of his country. "We are working with international tourism organisations to launch our tourism experiences. We are a safe country with a wild nature that combines all an adventurer wants to find when going on vacations". Although Mauritania is a rich country in natural resources, tourism is one of the most democratic sectors that when developed will be spread to all the local population. That is why the National Office of Tourism is finding the ways to launch Mauritania to the tourism agenda. No doubt that this will happen in less than five years taking into account the speed changes are shaping a new Mauritania. "We need you more than you need us" says Mahmoud. "Our book will help us to launch all our tourism plans internationally". eBizguides Mauritania will portray Mauritania´s business and tourism as a whole including the most attractive sectors to invest and the places to visit and enjoy. It will also profile the top 100 companies and will include interviews with the top decision makers of the country.. The guidebook is set to be published around February 2020 and will be distributed globally.

Mr. Niang Djibril Hamady, General Secretary of the Government of Mauritania with Sidi Mohamed Rahji, Consul of Mauritania in Canary Islands and eBizguides team. The General Secretary of the Government of Mauritania, Mr. Niang Djibril Hamady, explained today to eBizguides team the importance of having our business guidebook published in Mauritania since the lack of information about the country is a major obstacle for international investors when taking decisions. "Having a business guidebook like eBizguides published in Mauritania is a great opportunity to let the world know that we are here to welcome investors and that we are working to make it easy for them to come", said Mr. Hamady. eBizguides Mauritania will portray Mauritania´s economy as a whole including the most attractive sectors to invest. It will also profile the top 100 companies and will include interviews with the top decision makers. The guidebook is set to be published around mid 2020 and will be distributed globally.

The board of directors of the Union National du Patronat Mauritanien with Sidi Mohamed Rahji, Consul of Mauritania in Canary Islands and eBizguides team. "Today Mauritania starts a new beginning" said Mr. El kory Abdel Mola, General Secretary of the Patronal in Mauritania as we walked in his meeting room to talk about business in Mauritania. "From today, he said, we will change forever". This is how Mauritanian´s feel about the new discovery of gas at the Orca-1 well in waters offshore Mauritania that potentially will bring the country´s GDP to historic high rates with the estimated extraction of around 50 trillion cubic feet of gas. No wonder they feel blessed, since Mauritania´s and neighbouring Senegal basins have become a magnet for international investors all over the world. If the country have changed dramatically in the past four years without this breakthrough, we all can imagine how will Mauritania be in the upcoming years. A country with about four million people and double the size of Spain is a land of opportunities for everything. Gas is the trending issue now, but sectors like tourism or real estate are still virgin.

I Premio Saliou Traoré, Gran Canaria, Africa, eBizguides, Casa Africa, EFE, Teresa de la Vega, Augusto Hidalgo, Carmen Darias, Ayuntamiento de las Palmas, Pepe Naranjo

The Spanish Think Tank Institute El Cano recently organised a roundtable with Ecowas vicepresident, Finda Koroma and other Africa related guests and figures, such as South African Ambassador in Spain (left). With an impact in almost 1 billion people, Africa´s single market is now a reality for 52 out of the continent's 55 countries. As one of the world’s largest single markets it has an aggregate GDP of over $2 trillion and the World Economic Forum estimates $4 trillion in spending and investment according to the World Economic Forum. The challenges ahead are enormous, but which is the priority? Our priority is to create a single currency in a peacefully borderless region. The security has worsen on the back of increasing terrorism with almost 30,000 deaths in only four years but ECOWAS forces are ready to repel any terrorist action in the region. Also, 2020 is a year of many changes with 6 presidential elections within ECOWAS member states and 2 or 3 more in 2021. ECOWAS has also set a vision for 2020. What would be the main objectives for next year? We want to create an investment commission and an international court. We are also looking to a single currency market, with free movement of businesses and people in a single continental market. We are working in the harmonisation of statistical methods, inflation target and convergence criteria. But without security, there is no investment. What are the main investment projects ahead for international investors? Most of them have to do with infrastructure and railway access like the West African Corridor. With our single market created, we have now to enhance road transportation, the development of rail, etc.. all for a fast tracking integration. We are also looking at a unified regional electricity market and electricity exchange. We also want to develop ecotourism, which is natural to our continent and has a great potential. How is global warming affecting Africa? What are the consequences? Africa contributes 4% to global greenhouse gases while having the 16% of the world population. However, we are the most affected continent by the climate change which is creating what I call climate refugees . Our State of development goals 2030 includes measures to fight climate change in Africa. You are one of the first African women to reach a top political position. What has been your experience? I'm the first female vice-president of Ecowas but I have counted with an unprecedented support from my colleagues, including all State Presidents.