Date: 13 Aug, 2025
In a strategic move aimed at developing the fisheries sector and enhancing its processing and export capabilities, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, inaugurated the Industrial Complex for the Processing and Valorisation of Pelagic Fish, operated by the Arab Mauritanian Fish Company (SAMAK). The official ceremony took place at the Port Industrial Zone in the city of Nouadhibou.
This project stands as a pioneering public-private partnership model and is among the largest industrial ventures in the fisheries sector in both Mauritania and North Africa. Equipped with world-class standards and advanced technologies, the facility specializes in processing, freezing, and exporting small pelagic fish such as mackerel, sardines, and Atlantic chub mackerel. It aims to increase value addition and boost Mauritania’s fish exports.
The Industrial Complex for the Processing and Valorisation of Pelagic Fish – SAMAK – is a high impact development project in which the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) holds a 40.54% stake, alongside the Imam Walad Ibno Group with 37.10%, in partnership with several Mauritanian investors and institutions. With a total investment of USD 28 million, the plant spans an area of 15,000 square meters, boasting an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons of fish and fish products, and a storage capacity of 10,000 tons.
The project is expected to generate hundreds of direct and indirect job opportunities, expand Mauritania’s industrial base, and contribute to foreign currency earnings through increased fish exports.
On this occasion, H.E. Dr. Obaid Saif Hamad Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of (AAAID), emphasized that: Our investment in the SAMAK project reflects our commitment to strengthening Arab food security and advancing sustainable development in Arab countries. He added that the project serves as a model for advancing the fisheries sector by enhancing value chains, creating employment opportunities, and achieving a balance between economic growth and the preservation of natural resources.
Dr. Al Zaabi expressed his deep gratitude to H.E. the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani for his gracious patronage of the project and his continued support for economic development and agricultural and fisheries investment in the country. He also commended the cooperation of local partners in this venture, calling for continued joint efforts to achieve further successes in future projects across agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, in support of sustainable development goals.
