Moctar Ould Djay

Mokhtar Ould Djay (; born 28 December 1973), also spelled Moctar Ould Diay or Mokhtar Ould Diaye, is a Mauritanian politician serving as the Prime Minister of Mauritania since 2 August 2024.

He previously served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Economy and Finance under the presidency of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and more recently as Head of the Office of President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.

Early life Mokhtar Ould Djay was born on 28 December 1973 in Moudjéria, Tagant. He later moved to Magta Lahjar, in the wilaya of Brakna, to complete primary and secondary studies in the town, obtaining a baccalauréat specialised in mathematics in 1992.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Engineering from the National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics of Rabat, Morocco, in 1997. under Yahya Ould Hademine, with his portfolio later extending to also cover the Ministry of Economics following a cabinet reshuffle. Two months before the end of his mandate, he concluded the agreement between the Mauritanian government and the Australian company BCM International, for the exploitation of mines belonging to the (SNIM) in the town of F'Déirick.

His name was considered in 2018 as a potential candidate to succeed Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz due to his close ties to the president, however Mohamed Ould Ghazouani became candidate instead. He was nominated by Ghazouani to become the Director of SNIM in September 2019,

Prime minister Djay was appointed prime minister by Ghazouani on 2 August 2024 following Mohamed Ould Bilal's resignation and government reshuffle in the aftermath of the 2024 Mauritanian presidential election.

Personal life Ould Djay is married and a father of seven children. He speaks Arabic and French.