Mauritania, June 28, 2022
During the visit of the Saudi Fund for Development’s delegation to the Mauritanian Islamic Republic today, SFD's CEO, H.E. Mr. Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, signed an agreement to finance Phase I of a water project in Kiffa, Mauritania from the Senegal River. The agreement was signed under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect them. It was a result of the donors’ meeting of the Arab Coordination Group with the Mauritanian side, which took place in Riyadh in March to bridge the financing gap of this project. The Minister of Economic Affairs and Promotion of Production Sectors, Mr. Ousmane Mamoudou Kane, represented the Mauritanian side in the presence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Mauritania, Mr. Mohammed Ibn Ayed Al-Balawi. Given the project's impact on the people of Kiffa, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is financing the project with a $100 million soft development loan. The project will help sustain water resources, provide clean water to the community, minimize the risks of water-related diseases, and achieve water security. The project includes a 250 km water network that reaches 90 villages and serves more than 20% of residents of Mauritania.
During the agreement signing ceremony, Mr. Ousmane Mamoudou Kane praised the significant role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in supporting development projects and improving the infrastructure sector in Mauritania. He pointed out that these projects are of great importance to the lives of many beneficiaries, as they improve the social and economic conditions of the population.
In addition, the delegation inaugurated the SFD-funded dialysis center project in Nouakchott in the presence of the Minister of Health, Dr. Mokhtar Ould Dahi. The $10 million project, funded by a grant from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which serves many regions, aims to increase access to healthcare as well as upgrade healthcare services by expanding the hospital capacity, including equipping a dialysis center with 16 units in Nouakchott.
The SFD's delegation also inaugurated the new campus project in Nouakchott, a vital educational SFD-financed project to increase access to education in Nouakchott in the presence of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Mohamed Lemine Ould Abey Ould Cheikh El Hadrami. The $30 million project includes, among others, the construction of several university buildings and a university mosque, addressing accommodations, and improving various services and equipment.
Mr. Sultan Al-Marshad stated that "these projects will positively impact the social and economic development of our sister country, Mauritania. They provide the necessary support for basic services, promoting positive opportunities for Mauritanian people to meet their daily needs to improve their social and economic level.”
It is worth noting that the KSA’s government attaches great importance to supporting the development sectors in Mauritania through development projects and programs financed by SFD. Over the past several years, the Kingdom supported (53) development projects in Mauritania through soft development loans and grants totaling more than $800 million, to promote further growth and prosperity of many vital and developmental sectors in the country.
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