Générale de Banque de Mauritanie

What Générale de Banque de Mauritanie does

Générale de Banque de Mauritanie (GBM) is a privately-held commercial and investment bank headquartered in Nouakchott, Mauritania, founded in 1995 by Mohamed Ould Bouamatou. The bank operates four physical branches — two in Nouakchott and two in Nouadhibou — split between conventional and dedicated Islamic banking agencies, and serves approximately 1,897 enterprise, professional, and Islamic-banking customers as of December 2023. It is owned and controlled by the Bouamatou family, with Dr. Leila Bouamatou serving as Managing Director since 2018 (the first woman to head a Mauritanian bank), and operates under Mauritanian regulatory supervision with no external parent company or institutional equity owners of control.

Name

Générale de Banque de Mauritanie

Legal name

Générale de Banque de Mauritanie

Website

https://gbm-banque.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Générale de Banque de Mauritanie (GBM) is a privately-held commercial and investment bank founded in 1995 in Mauritania, serving enterprises, professionals, and Islamic banking customers through four branches in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou with online banking and SWIFT-based international trade services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Shariah-compliant Financing Products (Murabaha, Ijara, Tawarruq, Istisna, Salam) (FSABAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Islamic Trade Finance & Supply Chain (Shariah-compliant) (FSABAGAE), Islamic SME & Commercial Banking (FSABAGAB), Islamic Transaction Banking (Cash Management & Treasury Services) (FSABAGAF), Islamic Private Banking & Wealth (FSABAGAD)

Keywords

• Corporate banking services
• Islamic banking products
• Trade finance
• Investment financing
• Online banking platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Nouakchott

HQ country

Mauritania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Interest earned on loans and financing provided to corporate and professional customers, including short-term operating finance, medium and long-term investment loans, and real estate financing
2. Transaction and Commission Fees: Fees from banking transactions including wire transfers, documentary credits, letters of guarantee, currency exchange, and electronic banking services
3. Islamic Banking Fees: Fees and profit-sharing from Sharia-compliant financing products including Mourabaha margin, Ijara rentals, and partnership contracts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Générale de Banque de Mauritanie (GBM) is a Mauritanian commercial and investment bank offering corporate and professional banking services across ten product lines: Sharia-compliant Islamic finance, day-to-day banking, online banking, short/medium-term operating credit, medium/long-term investment financing and leasing, term deposits, international trade services, card payments and merchant terminals, currency transfers, and foreign currency exchange. Services are delivered via four branches in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou (including two dedicated Islamic banking agencies) plus an online banking platform, with relationship management provided by dedicated Corporate Officers to enterprises and professionals.

Product overview

Générale de Banque de Mauritanie (GBM) is a corporate/commercial bank offering a broad portfolio of banking products organized into ten core service lines: Finance Islamique (Sharia-compliant participatory banking with Mourabaha, Salam, Istisna'a, Ijara, Moucharaka, and Moudaraba), Banque au Quotidien (day-to-day payments and account management), Banque à Distance (online banking), Financement de l'Exploitation (short/medium-term operating credit), Financement de l'Investissement (medium/long-term investment loans and leasing), Placements Bancaires (term deposits), Services à l'International (import/export financing and guarantees), Monétique (card payments and POS terminals), Transfert de Devise (currency transfer), and Change Manuel (manual currency exchange). GBM's product architecture combines conventional banking with a dedicated Islamic banking track, delivered through four physical branches (two standard and two Islamic) plus a digital channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Finance Islamique (Islamic Banking) Sharia-compliant participatory banking products including Mourabaha, Salam, Istisna'a, Ijara, Moucharaka, and Moudaraba contracts, accompanied by standard banking services (transfers, payment cards, accounts); intended for Muslim-owned enterprises and individuals seeking Islamic-law-compliant financing.
• Banque au Quotidien (Day-to-Day Banking) All classic banking operations including payment, withdrawal, transfer, deposit, and provision of a bank card, managed by a dedicated Corporate Officer; for businesses and professionals needing flexible day-to-day account access.
• Financement de l'Exploitation (Operating Funding) Short- and medium-term financing solutions including cash-flow facilities, overdraft, inventory financing, seasonal activity financing, commercial discounting, and invoice advances; for enterprises and professionals needing working capital.
• Financement de l'Investissement (Investment Funding) Medium- and long-term loans covering classic credit, productivity funds, machinery and equipment financing, real estate financing, and lease-purchase (leasing) arrangements; for enterprises financing capex and real estate.
• Placements Bancaires (Term Deposits) Term deposit (TDR) products in various durations (3, 6, 9, 12 months and medium-term) offering fixed returns on surplus cash with no risk; for clients seeking risk-free interest-bearing deposit accounts.
• Services à l'International (International Services) International trade financing and instruments including documentary credits, export/import guarantees, bonds, stand-by letters of credit, and SWIFT-based foreign currency transfers; for importers, exporters, and businesses executing cross-border transactions.
• Monétique (Card Payments and Electronic Banking) Secure card-based payment solutions including GBM GIMTEL local bank cards, VISA credit cards, and connected electronic payment terminals (TPE) for merchants; for cardholders and merchants requiring electronic payment acceptance.
• Banque à Distance / GBM Online Banking Remote, secure bank account management via the GBM Online Banking platform, accessed with a username and password provided by a Corporate Officer; for clients needing autonomous self-serve account management.
• Transfert de Devise (Currency Transfer) Secure money transfer to and from GBM accounts through two channels: in-branch and email-based transfer, with processing times of 24 to 72 hours; for clients sending or receiving cross-border payments.
• Change Manuel (Currency Exchange) Currency exchange services (purchase and sale of foreign currencies) at market exchange rates, with full security and traceability, approved by the Central Bank of Mauritania; for clients and travelers needing foreign currency exchange.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% market share in Mauritanian fisheries sector before 2012
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GIMTEL (Groupement Interbancaire pour la Monétique et les Transactions Électroniques)coreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2021Interbank group comprising Central Bank of Mauritania, MAURIPOST, and all local banks working on mobile payment interoperability and electronic transaction infrastructure.
• Kinross Mauritania (TMLSA, SETSA, SENISA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2021Dr. Leila Bouamatou co-opted as board member of Kinross subsidiaries in Mauritania, supporting mining sector governance.
• Sovereign Wealth Fund of DjiboutiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2020Dr. Leila Bouamatou appointed as independent board member of the new Djibouti sovereign wealth fund, which aims to reach 1.5 billion EUR in capital over 10 years.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Banque Populaire de Mauritanie (BPM): Direct Mauritanian commercial-banking competitor with a similar corporate-and-professional focus and multi-branch presence across Nouakchott and secondary cities; competes for the same enterprise and trade-finance wallet as GBM.
• Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie de Mauritanie (BCIM): BCIM is a leading Mauritanian corporate-and-trade bank offering financing, international services, and corporate accounts — directly comparable to GBM's product set and target segments within the same Mauritanian market.
• Banque Sahélo-Saharienne pour l'Investissement et le Commerce (BSIC): Pan-African bank focused on Islamic finance and trade across Sahel region — direct competitor to GBM's Islamic banking franchise and Sharia-compliant product set in the Mauritanian market.

Broad incumbents

• Société Générale Mauritanie (SGM): Subsidiary of Société Générale group providing commercial, corporate, and trade-finance banking in Mauritania; competes head-to-head with GBM on corporate banking, international trade finance, and correspondent banking.
• Qatar National Bank (QNB) Mauritania / formerly Société Générale Mauritanie acquisition pipeline: Major GCC banking group with strategic interest in Mauritanian banking; competes for large corporate, sovereign, and Islamic finance deals against GBM.
• Attijariwafa Bank Mauritanie: Subsidiary of Morocco's Attijariwafa Bank, one of the largest financial groups in Africa; competes aggressively for Mauritanian corporate, trade, and SME banking — comparable in product scope but vastly larger in scale.
• Ecobank Mauritanie: Subsidiary of pan-African Ecobank group; offers corporate banking, trade finance, and digital channels across West Africa, comparable to GBM on cross-border trade finance and correspondent banking.

Emerging players

• Bank of Africa Mauritanie (BOA Mauritanie): Affiliated with Bank of Africa group; offers corporate and retail banking in Mauritania with regional integration advantages, comparable to GBM on SME and corporate lending but with broader regional footprint.

Regional players

• Banque Islamique du Sénégal (BIS): Senegalese Islamic bank operating across West Africa; comparable to GBM's Sharia-compliant product suite (Mourabaha, Ijara, etc.) although focused on the Senegalese/CFA-region market.

Others

• Proparco (AFD Private Sector Subsidiary): French Development Agency's private-sector financing arm and recent GBM partner (€15M trade finance guarantee, May 2025); operates as development-finance investor rather than direct competitor, but provides the strategic benchmark for Islamic/trade-finance deal flow in Mauritania.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GbmBanque
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/g-n-rale-de-banque-de-mauritanie

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Générale de Banque de Mauritanie