Economy

Despite the collapse of oil weighing heavily on the Algerian economy, it is still the largest and most prosperous in the Maghreb. Although it remains relatively closed, with foreign investors barred from taking majority stakes in local firms or projects since 2008, the private sector’s economic contribution has expanded significantly; it grew to 70% of GDP by 2015, and economic output increased four-fold over the same timeframe. While the oil price-induced fiscal difficulties facing Algeria have added pressure to efforts to improve living standards, they have provided a pressing incentive for the country to accelerate efforts to diversify away from hydrocarbons dependency and develop a more dynamic private sector.

This chapter contains interviews with Abderrahmane Raouya, Minister of Finance; Abdelkader Zoukh, Wali of Algiers; Ali Haddad, President, Algerian Business Leaders’ Forum; and Samira Hadj Djilani, President, Réseau Algérien des Femmes d’Affaires.