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Algeria Gate: State Minister, Minister of Hydrocarbons Mohamed Arkab, accompanied by Public Works and Basic Infrastructure Minister Abdelkader Djellaoui and Mines and Mining Industry Minister Mourad Hanifi, on Thursday launched two major components of Algeria’s integrated phosphate project.

The ministers first laid the foundation stone for a chemical transformation and fertilizer production complex at Oued Kebrit in Souk Ahras, before travelling to the Bled El Hadba mine in Bir El Ater to inaugurate an extraction and enrichment facility. The project spans the wilayas of Annaba, Souk Ahras, Tébessa and Bir El Ater.

Foundation Stone Laid for Chemical Transformation and Fertilizer Complex at Oued Kebrit

In Oued Kebrit, Souk Ahras, the ministerial delegation, joined by the walis of Souk Ahras and Tebessa, launched construction of a complex that will convert enriched phosphate into fertilizers and intermediate chemical products.

The facility is being built by the Italian company SAIPEM under an accelerated EPC Fast Track model (engineering, procurement and construction), with the participation of Sonatrach Group subsidiaries including SARPI, GCB and GTP. This approach is designed to reduce timelines and keep the project on schedule.

In its first phase, the complex will produce approximately 2.4 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizers per year and 570,000 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizers (including urea), along with intermediate chemicals such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and ammonia. It forms the critical industrial link that transforms phosphate from the Bled El Hadba mining pole into higher-value products for domestic agriculture and potential export.

Launch of Phosphate Extraction and Enrichment Complex at Bled El Hadba

Later the same day, the ministers proceeded to the Bled El Hadba phosphate mine near Bir El Ater, where they laid the foundation stone for an extraction and enrichment complex. The site holds estimated geological resources of about 1.2 billion tonnes of raw phosphate and constitutes the primary upstream link in the integrated project chain.

The complex is designed to extract 5.5 million tonnes of raw phosphate annually. After processing and enrichment, this is expected to yield around 3.2 million tonnes of enriched phosphate each year. Project plans also reference expanded capacities that could reach 10.5 million tonnes of raw phosphate extraction to supply 5.5 million tonnes of marketable enriched phosphate, with concentrated phosphate production targeted at 3.2 million tonnes annually. The enriched material will be transported to the chemical units at Oued Kebrit.

Officials stressed the need to accelerate construction so that enriched phosphate production can begin within the established deadlines. The ministerial delegation was also scheduled to inspect related infrastructure progress in Tébessa.

Strategic Importance of the Integrated Phosphate Project

The overall initiative follows a fully integrated industrial vision that moves beyond simple extraction. Raw phosphate will be enriched, chemically transformed and converted into fertilizers and other products, creating a complete value chain connected to transport networks and port facilities.

Key expected benefits include:

• Strengthening national food security by supplying fertilizers to the agricultural sector
• Increasing the added value of Algeria’s mineral resources
• Expanding non-hydrocarbon exports
• Generating direct and indirect employment
• Enabling technology transfer and skills development among Algerian personnel
• Stimulating local economic development and reinforcing the national industrial base

Minister Arkab emphasized the importance of close coordination among all involved sectors and companies, continuous on-site monitoring, and faster execution to meet the project’s deadlines. Together, the Oued Kebrit chemical complex and the Bled El Hadba extraction and enrichment plant form the core of Algeria’s strategy to valorize its phosphate reserves, reduce external dependence for fertilizers, and build a competitive downstream industry.

Algeria Gate: Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb, acting on instructions from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, inaugurated the “General Plastic Injection” production unit in Tissemsilt on Thursday. The facility, operated by the public holding Algeria Chemical Specialities (ACS), specializes in plastic components and accessories for the automotive sector and forms part of Algeria’s broader push to recover confiscated industrial assets and raise national integration rates.

Inauguration of the General Plastic Injection Unit

The ceremony took place in the commune of Khemisti in the presence of Interior, Local Authorities and Transport Minister Saïd Sayoud, Finance Minister Mohammed Lamine Lebbou, Industry Minister Farid Kourtel, and Kamel Moula, president of the Council for the Economic Renewal of Algeria (CREA).

The Prime Minister inspected the plant and received a detailed briefing on its manufacturing processes and development prospects. Construction began in April, and the unit was brought online in under five months at an estimated cost of 5 billion Algerian dinars. Officials credit the rapid turnaround to the efforts of workers, managers, engineers and other stakeholders involved in the project’s revival.

Raising National Integration and Cutting Imports

The plant is designed to produce 251,000 parts annually, enough to equip roughly 200,000 vehicles. Officials project an initial national integration rate of 40 percent, with a target of 70 percent in later phases. The project supports Algeria’s strategy of strengthening domestic automotive supply chains, reducing reliance on imported components, and building a higher-value local industry.

Ghrieb stressed that continuing to import plastic parts that can be manufactured in Algeria is no longer acceptable. He called for a collective commitment to prioritize national products and described the construction of a genuine automotive industry with strong local content as a shared national responsibility.

Mandatory Local Sourcing from Early 2027

At a press briefing after the inauguration, the Prime Minister set December 31st as the final deadline for importing plastic parts used in vehicle manufacturing and assembly. From the beginning of 2027, all licensed automotive manufacturers and assemblers in Algeria will be required to source plastic components that can be produced locally from the Tissemsilt plant, under a clear set of specifications.

The measure aims to deliver an “effective integration rate” in the automotive sector. Ghrieb noted that Algeria is committed to developing a real automotive industry based on high-value-added production. He also indicated that technical meetings will examine alternatives if mould-import lead times prove lengthy, and that a similar approach will apply to the bodywork sector in Batna to further raise local content.

Socioeconomic Benefits and Broader Industrial Reach

Beyond automotive applications, the factory will supply a wide range of plastic products for household appliances, cable manufacturing, refrigerators, air conditioners, medical equipment and devices, packaging materials, household tools and articles, cosmetics, eyewear, general plastic goods, drone components, and road-sign panels.

The project is expected to create 300 direct jobs and 500 indirect jobs. Officials say it will stimulate commercial activity, support investment, develop transport and logistics services, and open opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the wider plastics industry in the region.

Recovery of Confiscated Industrial Assets Continues

The Tissemsilt plant forms part of the government’s programme to recover and relaunch assets seized under final court rulings linked to anti-corruption efforts, returning them to the national economic circuit. Ghrieb confirmed that President Tebboune is personally monitoring the process and attaches particular importance to meeting agreed deadlines.

He stated that several additional recovered industrial projects across various wilayas will be relaunched in the near future. The recovery and reintegration of these assets into the national industrial fabric is progressing steadily and quietly, he added, with further announcements expected soon.

The inauguration of the General Plastic Injection unit marks an early step in a wider effort to expand Algeria’s automotive industry and raise the level of local integration.

Algeria Gate: The Algerian film Roqia, directed by Yanis Koussim, has been selected to represent Algeria in the race for the 99th Academy Awards, in the Best International Feature Film category.

This first feature film by the director blends drama, fantasy, and horror, against a backdrop of memory and traumas linked to the 1990s in Algeria.

Already screened at several international festivals, notably in Venice, Roqia thus continues its journey abroad. Its selection constitutes Algeria’s official entry, ahead of the next stages that will determine the films ultimately nominated for the Oscars.