Ayoun el-Atrous's weekly market is the main point of commerce for the surrounding region, drawing traders and buyers from villages and nomadic camps across a wide area of the Hodh el-Gharbi. The market is dominated by livestock — sheep, goats, camels — but also trades in dried goods, plastic beads (for which the town has a particular regional reputation), cloth, and basic hardware. The bead trade, in particular, is an interesting speciality: Ayoun el-Atrous has historically been a distribution point for the colourful Venetian trade beads that circulate through West African markets.
The market is most active in the morning. It is a working commercial space rather than a tourist attraction, which gives it an authenticity that is increasingly rare. The mix of Moorish traders in boubous, Fulani herders, and trans-desert truck drivers makes for a vivid scene. Come prepared for heat, dust, and a complete lack of anything aimed at visitors.