Mauritania’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohamed El Amin Ould Sheikh, stated that the relationship between the two countries is currently at its strongest, emphasizing their longstanding close and brotherly ties across various fields, nurtured by emotional closeness despite the geographical distance.
Ambassador Ould Sheikh noted that Kuwait has been among the first countries to support Mauritania’s economic development through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development. These institutions have funded numerous infrastructure projects in Mauritania, including roads, water, electricity, and other major structural initiatives.
The ambassador also highlighted Kuwait’s significant role in resolving Mauritania’s debt issue, which was finalized under an agreement signed between the two countries in 2021.
Leadership-Level Engagements
Ould Sheikh referred to recent high-level meetings between the leaders of the two nations, including the encounter between President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and Kuwait’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled, in Baku during the recent Climate Conference, and their earlier meeting in New York at the UN General Assembly in September.
On the presidential level, Ould Sheikh emphasized that President Ould Ghazouani has made multiple visits to Kuwait, the most recent being in December to offer condolences to Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the passing of the late Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad. The president had also visited Kuwait multiple times during the reign of the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad.
Historical and Cultural Ties
Speaking to Kuwait’s Al-Sabah newspaper, the ambassador underlined the deep-rooted historical ties between Mauritania and Kuwait. These connections date back to the early 20th century, when Mauritanian scholars and educators established cultural and academic exchanges.
Ould Sheikh also noted that political and economic relations between the two nations began in the 1960s following their respective independences. Diplomatic ties were officially established in 1969 and were strengthened by reciprocal visits in the mid-1970s between then-Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem and Mauritania’s President Moktar Ould Daddah. These relations continued to grow with visits by the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad to Mauritania in 2010 and 2017, as well as President Ould Ghazouani’s visits to Kuwait in 2020 and 2024.
