Algeria

In line with rising demand for electricity, Algeria has invested significantly in its power sector over the past 10 years, with projects primarily carried out by state-owned power company Sonelgaz and its subsidiaries. Major upgrades embracing enhanced technologies have also been brought on-stream; however, there remains a pressing need to...

Faced with dwindling oil and gas revenues, rising domestic consumption and growing environmental awareness, solar energy has come to occupy a more prominent role in the development of the country’s energy mix in recent years. Testament to this are government plans to develop a 4-GW solar project.

The collapse in global oil prices has caused international interest in exploration and production (E&P) activities to slow down. Yet, Algeria has maintained its determination to boost its hydrocarbons sector, with plans targeting an increase in oil and gas output by 14% and 13%, respectively, by 2019. To keep up the momentum in the face of...

Thriving revenues from hydrocarbons led to a period of widespread residential building in Algeria, with the housing segment leading the construction sector as the largest market in 2011-15, accounting for 41% of the total. Sustained growth is forecast until 2020, driven by an urbanisation expansion rate of 2.7% and a rising population...

As the Algerian state looks to tighten spending in the face of declining revenues resulting from the fall in oil prices, plans to curb the country’s import bill have become more pressing than ever. Imports have met with increased scrutiny, and in an attempt to promote local production, a rising number of goods are now subject to quota...

The shadow of Algeria’s civil conflict in the 1990s and the authorities’ subsequent reluctance to be seen as empowering political Islam has delayed domestic growth in sharia-compliant finance. Further, the economic slowdown brought on by weak oil prices has been a big factor behind the drying up of liquidity in the banking system. In turn,...