Nouakchott: Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) CEO Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad participated in laying the foundation stone for a project to supply Kiffa with potable water from the Senegal River. The event was attended by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and Saudi Ambassador to Mauritania Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Raqabi. The SFD is co-financing the project through a $100 million concessional development loan.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the project aims to address the shortfall in meeting the growing demand for drinking water, tackle challenges related to population needs, reduce reliance on unsafe water and the spread of waterborne diseases, and enhance water security. It will provide access to water for more than 500,000 beneficiaries in 25 villages and residential communities through pipelines extending over 250 kilometers.

Al-Marshad also signed a $60 million concessional development loan agreement with Mauritanian Minister of Economic Affairs and Development Abdullah Suleiman Cheikh Sidiya to help finance the electricity interconnection project between Mauritania and Mali and the development of associated solar power stations.

The project seeks to boost Mauritania's energy sector by expanding transmission and distribution networks, connecting cities from Nouakchott over 1,373 kilometers, supplying electricity to 150 villages and residential communities, and establishing 11 substations at 225 kilovolts with a total capacity of 600 megawatts. It is expected to improve the quality of life for more than 480,000 beneficiaries.

This comes within the framework of the longstanding development relations between the SFD and Mauritania, which date back to 1979. During this period, the fund has supported 31 development projects and programs through concessional loans and grants provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via the SFD, with a total value of around $1 billion, contributing to the growth of vital sectors across various regions of Mauritania.