This week’s announcement that The New York Times ranked Oran the world’s seventh top tourist destination has turned the spotlight on the city’s fast-growing film industry and its potential to seed new businesses. The ranking came as the city hosts the annual Oran International Arabic Film Festival, where veteran Egyptian actor Mahmoud Hemida received a lifetime achievement award. The two events—linked by a shared calendar and a city pushing culture as economic driver—are setting the stage for Algerian entrepreneurs to build companies around film tourism, media services and cultural exports.
Oran’s leap onto the global tourism stage follows years of local investment in festivals, infrastructure and international branding. In 2025 the city welcomed more than 2.3 million visitors, up sharply from 1.6 million in 2022, according to Algeria’s National Tourism Observatory. Hotel occupancy in the city centre hit 87% during last October’s film festival, data from the Oran Regional Tourism Office shows. The New York Times praised Oran’s “Mediterranean beauty, cinematic heritage and festival calendar,” a signal that cultural tourism can now rival Algeria’s traditional sectors such as hydrocarbons and agriculture in generating foreign exchange.
Behind the numbers is a deliberate strategy. The city’s film festival, now in its seventh edition, attracts buyers and producers from Morocco, Egypt, the Gulf and Europe. In 2025 the festival’s film market recorded 42 signed co-production agreements valued at €18 million, according to the Algerian Ministry of Culture. Local production house Dzair Films alone inked deals for three feature films and two documentaries with partners from Tunisia and France. “We are seeing producers who used to fly to Casablanca or Cairo now spending weeks in Oran,” said festival director Dalila Bencheikh.
For entrepreneurs, the message is clear: culture is becoming an exportable commodity. Algerian film startups are emerging in scriptwriting, post-production, equipment rental and location scouting. In 2025 a new co-working space called Studio Oran opened with funding from the Agence Nationale de Soutien à l’Emploi des Jeunes (ANSEJ), offering editing suites, sound stages and networking events. Founder Yacine Tlemçani says 38 small production teams have already rented space this year, up from 12 in 2024.
The diaspora is also plugging in. Software engineer Leila Bouzid, who lives in Montreal, launched Algeria Film Services in 2025 to supply Algerian productions with Canadian tax credits and post-production talent. “Canadian producers want North African stories but they don’t want to shoot in Casablanca because of costs or permits,” Bouzid said. “Oran is 90 minutes from Montreal by direct flight and has the Mediterranean backdrop they need.” Her company has already handled Canadian-Algerian co-productions shot in Oran, blending diaspora capital with local crews.
The symphonic festival in Algiers, which opened this week, adds another layer. With performances by the Orchestre Symphonique National d’Algérie and visiting orchestras from Europe, the event is designed to lengthen tourist stays. Hotels in Algiers report a 20% uptick in bookings during classical music weeks, according to the Office National du Tourisme. Entrepreneurs are responding: Classical Algiers Tours, a five-month-old startup, now offers evening “soundtrack cruises” along the Bay of Algiers, pairing Tchaikovsky with sunset views.
Yet challenges remain. Algeria’s film equipment import tariffs still reach 30%, making it costly for startups to buy cameras and sound gear. Entrepreneurs are lobbying the Ministère de l’Industrie to lower rates or create bonded warehouses for film equipment, similar to those in Morocco’s Casablanca Media City. Meanwhile, the national airline Air Algérie has added two weekly flights from Paris to Oran for festival season, but cargo space for film reels remains tight.
For the diaspora, the moment offers a dual opportunity: invest in Algerian film or import Algerian stories abroad. In 2025 the Agence Nationale de Développement de l’Investissement launched a €50 million fund targeting cultural and creative industries, with 40% reserved for startups led by returnees. Applications are open until March 2026.
Key takeaway for entrepreneurs: Oran’s global film spotlight is creating near-term rental demand for studios and crews, while diaspora-linked tax credits and co-productions offer financing routes. Act now to secure permits before the next festival season and lobby for tariff relief on gear.
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