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Algeria Gate: Algeria is preparing to expand its national railway network with a new 265.5-kilometre railway line connecting the wilayas of El Bayadh, Laghouat and Djelfa. The project is expected to improve transport links and open up new economic opportunities across the country’s High Plateaus region.

The route was presented during a meeting chaired by El Bayadh Governor Nourredine Belaaribi, attended by representatives of the National Agency for the Study and Monitoring of Railway Investment Projects (ANESRIF).

Trains to reach speeds of 220 km/h

According to the announced technical specifications, the new line is designed to accommodate passenger trains travelling at speeds of up to 220 km/h, while freight trains will be able to reach speeds of 100 km/h.

The project will initially be built as a single-track railway, with the necessary infrastructure designed to allow a second track to be added in the future.

A strategic route connecting the High Plateaus

The railway line will cover three main sections across wilayas:

In Laghouat, the line will extend for 93.6 kilometres, passing through Bouzertala, with stations planned in Brida and Aflou.

In Djelfa, the route will cover 79.4 kilometres, passing through stations in Idrissia and Douis before reaching Ain Oussera.

The new connection is expected to improve links between population centres and economic hubs, particularly in areas where transport infrastructure needs further development.

Expected economic and logistical benefits

The project is also significant because of its links with other railway developments. It is expected to extend from El Bayadh station, which is connected to the Mecheria–El Bayadh railway project, and connect with the Djelfa–Laghouat railway infrastructure at Ain El Ibel.

These connections could eventually help expand Algeria’s national railway network and strengthen economic integration across the High Plateaus.

Beyond improving passenger transport, the project is expected to help reduce freight costs, facilitate commercial exchanges and make inland regions more attractive to investors.

It could also support agricultural, industrial and commercial activities by providing an additional means of transporting goods from production areas to markets and distribution centres.

The El Bayadh–Laghouat–Djelfa railway project forms part of Algeria’s broader efforts to expand its rail network and improve connectivity between provinces, particularly in inland areas that play an important role in the country’s economic development.

Algeria Gate: Algeria and Saudi Arabia are continuing to strengthen their bilateral relations, with the aim of expanding economic cooperation and development opportunities. A diplomatic meeting was held in Riyadh on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, reflecting the two countries’ determination to consolidate their partnership.

Algerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Cherif Walid held talks with Abderrahmane Al-Rassi, a senior official at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for multilateral international affairs and overseeing economic and development issues.

The discussions focused on the state of bilateral relations, prospects for cooperation and several issues of mutual interest. The two officials also addressed regional and international developments.

Strengthening economic partnership

The meeting comes amid closer economic ties between Algiers and Riyadh, particularly in investment, energy and industrial development.

The two countries are seeking to explore new opportunities to diversify trade and encourage partnerships between their economic operators.

Algeria and Saudi Arabia therefore aim to consolidate their longstanding relations and open up new avenues for cooperation amid significant economic transformations across the region.

This diplomatic momentum could help strengthen exchanges and pave the way for future joint projects between the two countries.

Algeria Gate: Irish airline Ryanair has found itself at the centre of a controversy after presenting the city of Dakhla, located in Western Sahara, as a Moroccan destination. Ireland’s advertising regulator considers the marketing potentially misleading to travellers and recommends that it be withdrawn in its current form.

The case was reported by the Irish newspaper The Irish Times following a complaint filed by Lynn Boylan, an Irish Member of the European Parliament from the Sinn Féin party, who denounced what she described as a misleading representation of Dakhla’s territorial status.

An advertising campaign sparks controversy

In several promotional campaigns, Ryanair invited customers to discover Dakhla through an experience described as a “Moroccan adventure”.

However, the campaign drew criticism because Dakhla is located in Western Sahara, a territory that has been on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1963.

In a preliminary opinion dated 12 October 2026, Ireland’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) concluded that the advertisements risked misleading consumers.

Ryanair faces a regulatory warning

The advertising authority has recommended that its independent council uphold the complaint and request that the advertisement no longer be displayed in its current form.

However, this is not yet a final decision, as it still needs to be approved by the competent council.

Ryanair, for its part, maintains that its communications were intended solely to promote the tourist destination and did not express a political position.

Western Sahara’s status at the heart of the debate

The case has once again drawn attention to the legal status of Western Sahara, which is claimed by Morocco but regarded by the United Nations as a territory whose decolonisation process remains incomplete.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has also reiterated in several rulings that Western Sahara has a status separate and distinct from that of Morocco.

Beyond a simple tourism campaign, the controversy highlights the legal and political consequences that can arise from the commercial presentation of a disputed territory.

For Ryanair, the case could lead to changes in its promotional communications, while the question of Western Sahara continues to spark debate on the international stage.