WestMED Mauritania and the University of Nouakchott organise the 3rd Scientific Blue Economy Symposium in Mauritania
The 3rd scientific symposium on the blue economy was organised in partnership between the WestMED Initiative National Hub and the University of Nouakchott, from 8 to 10 December 2025 at the Mauricenter Hotel in Nouakchott.
It brought together around 100 participants from five countries (Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Spain and France), including deans of economics faculties.
Over three days, participants discussed the main challenges associated with promoting the blue economy in Mauritania and shared their experiences, research and innovations with a large audience of students, professors and researchers.
Eight successive panels were organised during the symposium:
- Blue economy and green finance;
- Blue economy and maritime governance;
- Fisheries, blue economy and climate change;
- Food security, sovereignty and sustainability;
- Round table: What development model for the Mauritanian economy?;
- Integrated modulation approach for the economic and environmental systems of the blue economy;
- Green hydrogen.
- Scientific partnerships and exchanges: challenges, practices and prospects.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hamid delivered a speech on behalf of the WestMED Initiative’s national coordination team during the opening session of the symposium and helped moderate three panels.
During these interventions, Dr Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid, National Hub of Mauritania, first presented the European Union’s WestMED Initiative, its history, objectives, members and the structure of its technical assistance mechanism.
He recalled that Mauritania had the opportunity to co-chair the initiative in 2022 and 2023. He then presented the main achievements of the National Hub in promoting the blue economy in Mauritania, including the organisation of six dedicated national events between 2019 and 2025, the creation of the Mauritanian maritime cluster, which brings together the main maritime stakeholders, and the institutionalisation of a Technical Advisor position in charge of the Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime and Port Infrastructure, who has just been appointed national coordinator of the WestMED initiative.
More information: contact Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid (WestMED National Hub Mauritania).
This event generated national media attention and was broadcast as a news item on Mauritanian television – featuring Dr Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid as one of the keynote speakers.
