Mauritanian craftsmanship is a fundamental pillar of our cultural and economic heritage. For centuries, Mauritanian artisans have passed down unique skills, whether in leatherwork, metalwork, woodwork, textiles or pottery. These crafts reflect the ingenuity, creativity and cultural identity of the country, while playing a major economic role, contributing to the livelihoods of communities and the vitality of local markets.

To promote this heritage, the Government has set up a Directorate General for Crafts, Trades and the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy, under the authority of the Ministry of Vocational Training, Crafts and Trades. This directorate is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring government policy in the areas of crafts, trades and the social and solidarity economy. It coordinates interventions in these sectors, proposes the accreditation of socio-professional organisations, issues professional craftsman’s cards, organises and supervises the sector’s activities, monitors the quality of production, researches and exploits export opportunities for national craft products, ensures the preservation of the craft heritage and produces statistics on these sectors.