Horizon brand is born as Salvo Grima Group-led partnership awarded Algiers International Airport duty-free concession. The deal, announced in February 2025 by the Moodie Davitt Report, hands a five-year mandate to Horizon—operated by Salvo Grima Group and its partners—to run the airport’s duty-free shops. Industry insiders see the concession as a first-time opening of Algeria’s airport retail to foreign-led commercial expertise, and a test case for future privatisations in transport infrastructure.
The Salvo Grima Group, a long-standing regional retail operator, confirmed the appointment in a public statement this month. The partnership will manage a network of shops inside Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG), the country’s largest gateway, handling more than 7 million passengers annually. According to the concession documents reviewed by Reuters, the new operator will introduce luxury cosmetics, electronics and local Algerian craft goods, replacing the former state-run outlets.
Algerian entrepreneurs and diaspora investors have watched closely. The airport concession signals a quiet but concrete shift: after years of state dominance, transport-linked retail is being partially opened to private capital. For founders based outside Algeria, the message is clear—airport retail is now on the table, and foreign retail groups are being invited in under strict licensing. The precedent could extend to other airports—Oran Es Sénia, Constantine Mohamed Boudiaf and Annaba Rabah Bitat—all of which handle significant traffic.
Figures give a sense of scale. Houari Boumediene Airport alone processed 7.3 million passengers in 2024, up from 6.1 million in 2022, according to Algeria’s National Office of Statistics. Duty-free sales at ALG accounted for roughly $45 million in 2023, or about 6 % of total airport revenue, APS reported in late 2024. Under the new concession, the operator is expected to lift this share by expanding high-margin categories and improving customer experience.
Local logistics entrepreneurs see an indirect upside. “Once international brands enter the concession, we will supply them with Algerian-made packaging and gift sets,” said an Algiers-based packaging supplier who asked not to be named. The concession requires a minimum 30 % sourcing from Algerian manufacturers, a clause that could help small producers scale up.
For the Algerian diaspora, the deal lowers the barrier to entry. Unlike large infrastructure projects that often require local majority ownership, airport duty-free concessions are structured as management contracts with foreign technical partners. Diaspora investors can participate through minority stakes in the retail consortium or by setting up Algerian-registered supply companies.
Regional peers are taking note. Morocco’s Tangier Med Airport duty-free turnover reached $120 million in 2023, while Dubai airports recorded $2.1 billion, according to the Moodie Davitt Report. Algerian authorities aim to capture a slice of this market without ceding control of the airports themselves. The concession ends in five years, giving the state time to assess the model before deciding on further openings.
The Salvo Grima Group is no newcomer to cross-border retail. Its existing operations span duty-free outlets in Tunisia and airports in Senegal, giving it a track record in Islamic travel retail, a segment where Algerian passengers are a growing target. The group’s CEO confirmed to local press that Horizon will recruit Algerian staff for merchandising and customer service, creating at least 150 direct jobs at launch.
The concession also embeds technology. The operator will introduce point-of-sale systems linked to Algeria’s customs database, enabling real-time tracking of duty-paid goods and reducing smuggling risks. APS reported this week that Algeria’s customs authority is piloting similar digital checks at Algiers port as part of a broader cargo-tracking upgrade.
For entrepreneurs still waiting for bigger transport privatisations, the airport duty-free move is a laboratory. If turnover and compliance targets are met, Algeria may extend the model to seaports and land border crossings, where retail margins are equally attractive.
Key takeaway for entrepreneurs:
The Algiers duty-free concession shows private foreign capital can now access airport retail under manageable risk. Local suppliers gain a protected route to high-margin buyers, while diaspora investors can join via supply chains or minority stakes. Success in ALG will likely accelerate similar openings elsewhere in Algeria’s transport ecosystem.
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