Weekly trends: language policy, digital growth, and foreign partnerships
Language policy and business implications
Impact on entrepreneurs:
– French-language businesses, including media and education services, face regulatory pressure. Liberté, Algeria’s largest French-language daily, reported financial difficulties, citing declining advertising revenue and government restrictions.
– Startups targeting Francophone markets may need to adapt content or diversify language offerings. Arabic and Amazigh digital tools could gain traction.
– The diaspora, particularly in France, may see reduced demand for French-language services in Algeria’s education sector.
Kamel Daoud, a French-Algerian author, received a three-year suspended prison sentence for defamation related to his 2017 novel Zabor ou les psaumes. The case stems from a 2019 complaint by a local official. Daoud’s 2014 novel The Meursault Investigation won the Goncourt du Premier Roman.
Separately, Algerian writer Rachid Boudjedra won the 2026 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel The Last Summer of Reason. The award, announced in Abu Dhabi, carries a $50,000 prize.
Digital expansion and startup financing
Tourism and digital infrastructure:
– Foreign tourist arrivals rose 10% in 2024, reaching 3.2 million. The government attributed the increase to visa facilitation and digital marketing campaigns.
– President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered continued support for startups, including private-sector financing. The 2024 budget allocates DZD 50 billion (€330 million) to the National Agency for Investment Development (ANDI) for startup grants and tax incentives.
Key figures:
– Algeria’s startup ecosystem includes 1,200 registered companies, with 60% in Algiers.
– E-commerce grew 22% in 2023, reaching DZD 120 billion (€800 million) in transactions.
– Mobile money accounts increased to 18 million in 2024, up from 12 million in 2021.
China-Algeria partnerships: energy and mining
Iron ore and pricing power:
– Algeria’s Gara Djebilet mine, with estimated reserves of 3.5 billion tons, could supply 5% of China’s annual iron ore imports. Current global iron ore prices hover at $110 per ton, down from $160 in 2021.
– China’s demand for Algerian iron ore may reduce reliance on Australian and Brazilian suppliers, which account for 70% of China’s imports.
Other agreements:
– China’s Sinohydro won a $1.2 billion contract to build a desalination plant in Oran, part of Algeria’s plan to add 2.5 million cubic meters of daily desalination capacity by 2030.
– Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) finalized a $4 billion joint venture to develop the Hassi Messaoud oil field.
Labor conditions:
– Reports emerged of poor working conditions for Chinese laborers in Algeria, including wage delays, substandard housing, and passport confiscations. The Algerian Ministry of Labor acknowledged 120 complaints in 2024, up from 80 in 2023.
Hydrocarbons and energy transition
Key developments:
– Algeria’s oil production averaged 950,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2024, down from 1.1 million bpd in 2020.
– Natural gas exports reached 50 billion cubic meters in 2023, with Italy, Spain, and France as primary buyers.
– The government announced plans to invest $50 billion in renewable energy by 2030, targeting 15 GW of solar capacity. Current solar capacity stands at 400 MW.
Vocational training and transport upgrades
Transport infrastructure:
– Algeria acquired 500 new railway wagons from China’s CRRC, increasing its fleet to 3,200. The wagons will support the 1,200 km east-west railway project, scheduled for completion in 2026.
– The Algerian Air Force received its first batch of Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighters, part of a $7 billion defense contract with Russia. The deal includes 14 Su-57s and 14 Su-30s.
Tourism and historical sites
Historical sites:
– Algeria has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Roman ruins of Timgad and the Casbah of Algiers. Annual visitors to these sites average 500,000.
– A photo essay by The New York Times highlighted Algeria’s southern borderlands, including the Tassili n’Ajjer rock art and the Ahaggar Mountains. The region lacks paved roads and hotels.
Food tourism:
– Algerian cuisine, including dishes like couscous and rechta, gained attention in international media. The government launched a DZD 2 billion (€13 million) campaign to promote Algerian food abroad.
Women in the workforce and legal reforms
Workforce participation:
– Women represent 18% of Algeria’s formal workforce, compared to 25% in Morocco and 30% in Tunisia.
– Female entrepreneurs own 22% of Algeria’s 1.1 million registered small and medium enterprises (SMEs), up from 15% in 2018.
Middle East relations and regional trade
Trade implications:
– Algeria’s trade with Morocco remains limited, with bilateral trade at $500 million in 2023, down from $1.2 billion in 2010.
– Israel’s growing economic ties with Morocco and Tunisia could divert investment from Algeria. Morocco’s trade with Israel reached $150 million in 2023, up from $50 million in 2020.
Weekly balance
Key takeaway for entrepreneurs
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