- There is generally very little personal space during conversations. An arm's length is often a good place to start, but often members of the same sex will pull you closer to speak with you. This is a privilege of friends and many will do it in order to convey that they consider you a friend, or want to in any case. People will also do this when asking you for things.
- There is always space between members of the opposite sex, and usually when you are a guest you will be seated by yourself somewhere, and that amount of space is a rare thing and sort of shows how important they think you are. However, many of the day to day aspects of life in do not allow much space.
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When traveling in taxis, it's common to see four people placed in the backseat and two in the navigator seat. Drivers try to separate men from women, because things are so squashed, but this does not always work, and foreigners are often used as buffers between Mauritanian men and women.
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Members of the opposite sex do not touch, in general. Although some men may shake the hands of foreign women if they are presented in a business context, this varies on the area. Moors from the north seldom if ever touch women, but Pulaar and Woloof men in the south are generally less conservative.
- There is a considerable amount of touching between members of the same sex while conversing. Holding hands is common, and does not indicate anything other than friendship.
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