The National U.S.–Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) marked its 50th anniversary by conferring its Ambassador of the Year Award for 2025 on Her Excellency Cissé Mint Cheikh Ould Boide, Mauritania’s Ambassador to the United States on Tuesday, December 16, 2025. The award was presented during an invitation-only luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., attended by senior U.S. officials, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders, and representatives of international institutions.
Established in 2004, NUSACC’s Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes envoys whose work strengthens ties between the United States and the Arab world through diplomacy, trade, and sustained engagement. Previous recipients include ambassadors from Morocco and Tunisia, underscoring the Chamber’s focus on leadership that delivers tangible progress in bilateral relations.
Ambassador Boide has served in Washington since March 2021, becoming Mauritania’s first female ambassador to the United States. She is also accredited to Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Her career includes senior government responsibilities, such as Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, and service as Mauritania’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie in Paris. Across these roles, she has advanced an agenda rooted in international cooperation, sustainable development, and cultural exchange.
In presenting the award, NUSACC President and CEO David Hamod cited Ambassador Boide’s effectiveness in strengthening Mauritania’s visibility in Washington and expanding cooperation across energy, trade, education, and security. He noted her ability to engage policymakers, institutions, and the private sector while positioning Mauritania as a constructive and reliable partner.
In her acceptance speech, Ambassador Boide described the honor as a shared recognition rather than a personal achievement. “I humbly accept this award on behalf of Mauritania’s leadership and our people,” she said, attributing the moment to collective effort and enduring partnerships.
She spoke about her early days in Washington, acknowledging the scale of U.S. institutions and the challenges of navigating them. That initial sense of uncertainty, she explained, soon gave way to collaboration built on openness and trust. Those relationships, she said, now support a framework that benefits both Mauritania and the United States.
Ambassador Boide emphasized that her mandate was defined by President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who entrusted her with strengthening ties between Mauritania and the United States. She pointed to recent high-level engagements, including Mauritania’s participation in a White House summit in July 2025, as evidence of a partnership grounded in shared interests and sustained dialogue.
She also acknowledged the role of NUSACC in advancing cooperation between the United States and the Arab world, crediting the Chamber with linking diplomatic priorities to economic opportunity. Her remarks included observations from visits to Iowa and Nebraska, which reinforced her belief in people-to-people engagement and the value of shared community principles across cultures.
Addressing fellow diplomats and partners, Ambassador Boide described the award as both an honor and a responsibility. She dedicated it to those who work steadily, often outside public view, to build trust among nations, including diplomats, chambers of commerce, business councils, and civil society organizations.
“I see this distinction not as an achievement unto itself, but as an incentive to continue our mission of building bridges,” she said, pointing to dialogue, transparency, and mutual respect as essential pillars of international cooperation.
She concluded by dedicating the award to Mauritania and its people, particularly its youth, and reaffirmed her country’s commitment to close cooperation with the United States. Her remarks closed the luncheon with a clear message: diplomacy endures when it is grounded in partnership and sustained by trust.
