A large-scale programme to upgrade and expand air transport infrastructure in Algeria, which currently consists of 52 airports with paved runways, is under way. As part of plans to transform the country into a regional air transport hub, new terminals at airports in some of Algeria’s largest cities are under construction, with connectivity at the main international airport in Algiers also…
If an end to the era of abundant liquidity in Algeria’s financial sector presents risks, it also has one important advantage: contracting liquidity can restore the Bank of Algeria’s (BoA) capacity to steer the economy via the classic levers of monetary policy. These tools, essentially unused during 15 years of excess liquidity, are now re-emerging for the first time since 2001 – the last year…
In recent years Algeria has developed a large network of both public and privately owned dry ports, aimed at reducing congestion in maritime facilities by quickly moving exported goods out of seaports to be processed elsewhere, often via rail connections. While the initiative has proven successful, moves to expand seaport capacity mean that the authorities no longer see a need to develop further…
Algeria saw the launch of the country’s first 3G networks in late 2013, after similar rollouts by its neighbours Tunisia and Morocco. However, the country has quickly made up for lost time, with the introduction in October 2016 of 4G LTE networks by all three of Algeria’s mobile network operators, with all 48 of the country’s provinces expected to have coverage by 2020. Preparing To…
Algeria is among the top-five African states in terms of investment via public-private partnerships (PPPs) over the last 15 years, according to figures from the UN Conference on Trade and Development, with the public and private sectors increasing cooperation on transport infrastructure development in particular. Initiatives along these lines include public-private joint ventures (JVs) to build…
Clusters enable economic actors to develop collective knowledge, as well as work together to overcome challenges and seize potential new economic opportunities. The development of agricultural clusters is a recent phenomenon in Algeria. The subject of evaluation studies since the 1980s, the National Territory Planning Scheme 2025 (Schéma National d’Aménagement du Territoire, SNAT 2025),…
In April 2016 Sid Ahmed Ferroukhi, then-minister of agriculture, rural development and fisheries, announced the upcoming launch of a Policy and Investment Promotion Roadmap, which aims to promote foreign direct investment and modernise Algeria’s agriculture sector. The pending roadmap comes amidst a number of other reforms that look to stimulate growth in the agricultural sector. Earlier…
Though nominally at the centre of Algeria’s tourism policy for decades, specially designated Tourism Investment Zones (Zones d’Expansion Touristique, ZETs) have failed to act as an effective springboard for full-scale take-off of the tourism sector. Amid the government’s current drive to cut waste across the board and develop hospitality infrastructure, the ZETs are receiving renewed attention. Formation First…
As Algeria rushes to expand its limited hospitality infrastructure, the country risks surpassing its ability to effectively staff and manage its tourism establishments. “Hospitality is a true profession,” Xavier Arnoux, general manager of the new Radisson Blu in Algiers, told OBG. “We see private investors improvise at operating hotels, then after a few years regret it and lease their…
Up to and including 2013, Algeria had registered a positive current account balance every year since 1999, including very large surpluses in some years. The indicator peaked at a figure of 24.7% of GDP in 2006, according to IMF figures. However, the balance was transformed into a deficit of AD1.38trn (€11.4bn), or 4.4% of GDP, in 2014, helped by a decline in international oil prices in the second…
