Moroccan bourse to help Mauritania set up first stock market

RefinitivLess than 1 min read

The Casablanca stock exchange and Mauritania’s central bank said on Friday they had signed a deal to set up Mauritania’s first stock market in the capital Nouakchott.

The agreement “is part of efforts by Mauritania to develop its economy, diversify sources of financing and attract foreign investments”, the two institutions said in a joint statement.

The Casablanca stock exchange will bring “technical, operational and strategic support for the setting up of Nouakchott’s stock exchange,” the statement said.

The new bourse would help integrate Mauritania into the international financial system, it said.

Mauritania, an iron ore, gold, copper and more recently gas producer, is trying to diversify its economy and attract foreign investors.

The Casablanca stock exchange is the second largest in Africa with a market capitalisation of 899 billion dirhams ($97 bln) on April 18, 2025.

Moroccan banks and firms operating in insurance, fertilisers, mining, telecoms and real-estate are among those rolling out investments across West Africa in recent years.