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Algeria strengthens its partnerships to finance major infrastructure projects

Algeria Gate: Algeria has launched the countdown to complete the largest logistics project linking the north of the country to the south. The railway line project connecting Tamanrasset to the north of the country has entered its decisive phase through intensive efforts on two fronts: finalizing the last on-site preparations and diversifying the financing mechanisms for this massive project.

In this regard the Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure, Abdelkader Djellaoui, chaired a high-level coordination meeting dedicated to finalizing the arrangements and giving the necessary impetus to this vital project.

The meeting reviewed the technical plans and the readiness of the construction sites for the major sections that pass through the provinces of Laghouat, Ghardaia, El Meniaa, and In Salah, reaching Tamanrasset. These include, foremost, the Laghouat–Ghardaia–El Meniaa axis extending over a distance of 495 km, as well as the El Meniaa–Kilometer Point 216 and Tamanrasset–Moulay Lahcen sections covering 213 km.

The meeting saw the mobilization of a strong national and international network of engineering firms and construction companies, led by the Cosider Group, the National Agency for Studies and Monitoring of Railway Investment Projects (ANESRIF), and a Chinese partner that underscores the strategic dimensions of the project.

This momentum did not stop at the field level but extended in parallel to the economic diplomacy front, where the sector minister received a high-level delegation representing both the Islamic Development Bank and the African Development Bank.

This meeting, held in the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Finance and ANESRIF officials, constituted a strategic stop to discuss partnership prospects and the financing of major infrastructure projects, topped by this Trans-Saharan railway line.

The minister stressed the need to accelerate the completion of the remaining procedures and to mobilize all material and human resources in order to launch the construction sites on schedule.

This tight coordination between field readiness and international financial backing confirms the confidence of major institutions in the project’s viability, heralding an unprecedented developmental and economic transformation that will reshape the transport map and connect the north to the south.

Algeria Gate: Algeria’s economy is showing strong resilience, with growth accelerating, the non-hydrocarbon sector expanding and the country’s fiscal and financial position gaining strength, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Fund also described Algeria’s short-term economic outlook as broadly favorable.

Following its 2026 Article IV consultations with Algeria, concluded on September 11th, the IMF estimated 3.9% economic growth in 2025, up from 3.7% in 2024, supported by a strategy focused on public investment.

The non-hydrocarbon economy grew 4.3% in 2025 and is projected to expand by 4% in 2026, confirming the continued diversification of economic activity.

The IMF expects overall growth to remain robust at 3.8% in 2026. Higher hydrocarbon prices are also expected to boost exports and budget revenues, helping Algeria rebuild its fiscal buffers.

Exports are projected to rise from 15.8% of GDP in 2025 to 19.3% in 2026, while imports are expected to fall from 21.9% to 18.5% of GDP.

The Fund also noted that Algeria’s budget deficit narrowed in 2025, helped by substantial one-off dividend payments from state-owned companies and the Bank of Algeria.

The IMF praised Algeria’s efforts to strengthen financial stability and inclusion, noting that banks remain liquid, profitable and well capitalized. It also highlighted measures to strengthen financial supervision, crisis and liquidity management, and the governance of public banks.

Finally, the IMF commended Algeria for its rapid removal from the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, describing it as an important step in strengthening the country’s financial framework.

Algeria Gate: Boualem Sansal is once again placing his time in prison in Algeria at the centre of current events. In his book “La Légende,” the writer presents his arrest in a particularly serious light, going so far as to speak of a form of “deportation” and to attribute an antisemitic dimension to it.

This claim nevertheless requires an essential distinction between the writer’s personal account and the judicial grounds for his arrest.

Sansal was not convicted by the Algerian courts for his religion or because he is Jewish. Arrested in November 2024, he was sentenced in March 2025 to five years in prison, notably for undermining national unity, following controversial statements concerning the borders of Algeria and Morocco. This sentence was later upheld on appeal. For his part, Sansal contested the proceedings and invoked his freedom of expression.

From judicial file to political narrative

It is therefore after the facts that Sansal gives his incarceration an interpretation linked to antisemitism. For an Algerian reader, the central question is simple: this interpretation must not be confused with what actually appears in the judicial file.

The case had moreover taken on a significant diplomatic dimension between Algiers and Paris. In November 2025, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune finally granted a pardon to the writer following an official request from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, presented on humanitarian grounds.

With “La Légende,” Boualem Sansal now offers his own reading of this period. But between a formula designed to strike minds and the facts established by the procedure, the difference remains fundamental: the publicly reported charges concerned his statements and national unity, not his religious affiliation.