Mauritania: Nouakchott Real Estate Market Overview 2011

This overview provides highlights of the industrial, retail, office, and residential real estate markets in Nouakchott, the capitol of Mauritania.

Office market

The office market is very small. Most of the international activities in Nouakchott relate to a variety of diplomatic and aid endeavours, or businesses operating out of owned, stand-alone facilities. There is essentially no stock available for lease of a western corporate standard. The international banks in Nouakchott (BNP Paribas and Société Générale) have constructed their own facilities in the city centre on, or close to, Avenue du Général de Gaulle, where the small amount of office business is focused.

Retail market

There are small and medium sized supermarkets located throughout the centre of Nouakchott, with the largest of these generally being in the expatriate area of Tevragh Zeina. There is practically no local produce, resulting in the shelves being stacked with imported and well-known international brands. Car salerooms are evident along the road to the airport. There are, to all intents and purposes, no international retailers, and relatively little street trading by West African standards.

Industrial market

There is little manufacturing in Nouakchott, except at a local and artisanal level. The majority of industrial activity in Mauritania involves the exploitation of the country’s natural resources, which include iron, oil, minerals and fishing. As a consequence, the real estate market is generally of a specialist nature, located on site and owner occupied.

Residential market

There are major issues with the availability of water and the disposal of sewerage in Nouakchott and, as a consequence, the only areas that are really deemed suitable for expatriates are Tevragh Zeina and sub-areas such as Las Palmas and E Nord. As development across the city is generally of a maximum of two floors in height, there is a relatively small market for apartments. The lower and middle income markets are developing, but the poor availability of personal finance is acting as a brake on activity in this sector.