The Saudi Fund for Development has committed USD 70 million to build and equip the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The facility will have 300 beds and be a national referral and teaching centre intended to support fifteen regional hospitals while training medical professionals.
At the launch event President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and SFD CEO Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad laid the foundation stone. The hospital is expected to bolster Mauritania’s medical infrastructure, especially in complex specialised care.
Construction of the hospital will include emergency services, surgical theatres, maternity, paediatrics, intensive care, laboratory facilities and diagnostic sections. Housing for doctors and administrative infrastructure will also be part of the project. The facility will play a dual role: refining healthcare delivery in Mauritania’s capital and serving as a teaching hub for national medical training programmes.
Saudi Arabia’s government is providing the funding as a grant via SFD; no loan burden is being placed on Mauritania. The hospital project follows earlier agreements and preparatory planning that selected Saudi firm Al-Amr to design and supervise the build. The design contract, valued at approximately USD 4.2 million, underlines the technical collaboration between Mauritania and Saudi contractors.
The hospital is seen as a major investment in public health for Mauritania, which has faced longstanding challenges in access to specialised healthcare outside Nouakchott. Rural and regional hospitals often have limited capacity for advanced diagnostics or critical care, meaning many patients must travel to the capital for major procedures.
Some medical experts caution that while the new facility promises improved services, success will depend heavily on equipping the hospital with skilled staff, ensuring maintenance of specialised equipment, and integrating it with the wider health system. Budget overruns, staffing shortages and delays in supply chains are common risks for large-scale hospital projects in the region.
Mauritania’s Ministry of Health has said that the hospital will be integrated into national health plans, including medical education, and will collaborate with university institutions to offer specialisation and continuous medical training. The SFD has highlighted that this hospital will raise the standard of care and reduce pressure on existing hospitals.
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