ALGER – Economic experts highlighted the importance of the railway project linking Tamanrasset to the north of the country in supporting the process of national development and the realization of a greater openness of Algeria to its African depth.
In a statement to the APS, economic expert Houari Tigharsi explained that the scope of this project goes beyond its mere role in the field of transport, as part of a more comprehensive vision aimed at redefining the country’s economic and logistical map and strengthening the interconnection between its different regions.
In that wake, Mr. Tigharsi pointed out that the South of Algeria has significant mineral and energy resources, as well as great agricultural and tourist potential, stressing, however, that the development and exploitation of these assets remains dependent on the establishment of an infrastructure capable of ensuring the efficient and competitive transport of people, goods and raw materials.
In this respect, according to Mr Tigharsi, the railway can become “the backbone” linking production areas to consumption and processing centres and ports, which will allow for greater integration of the southern regions into the national economy, while helping to reduce regional disparities by improving their attractiveness for investment and economic activity.
The strategic importance of the project lies in the strengthening of Algeria’s African depth, he said, stating that the future completion of its connection to transport networks and routes to the Sahel countries will enable the country to strengthen its logistical role by linking the Mediterranean region to the heart of the African continent.
In this connection, it considered that the use of Algeria Someone’s geographical position requires the establishment of an integrated system comprising railway lines, roads, ports and logistics areas, in addition to facilitating customs procedures and digitisation, in order to support the movement of Algerian goods to African markets and to facilitate access of African products to Algerian and Mediterranean markets.
It should be noted that the project is divided into three sections: Laghouat-Ghardaïa-El Meniaa (495 km), El Meniaa-Point kilometer 216 and Tamanrasset-Moulay Lahcen (213 km).
For his part, the expert in strategic planning and development, Mr. Mohammed Cherif Daroui, said that this project has multiple socio-economic dimensions that can give new impetus to economic dynamics along its linear line.
He explained that the completion of this line will allow the opening of new yards and the creation of jobs, in addition to the revitalization of economic enterprises and subcontracting companies related to major works, noting that its benefits will continue after the operation of the line, through the development of transport, services and logistics activities.
Moreover, the project will help to open up new economic prospects by strengthening the link between the Saharan regions and the rest of the national territory, especially since these regions are undergoing rapid transformation, enabling them to play an increased role as strategic poles of development, in the light of the major projects under way in the fields of solar energy, strategic and other crops.
Mr Daroui considered that improving the rail link can also enhance the attractiveness of these regions of investments, by facilitating the transport of products and raw materials and reducing logistical costs, thus contributing to the support of economic enterprises and the creation of new activities related to the line.
The project is also one of the guidelines for strengthening continental economic integration, particularly in the context of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFTAAf), as the development of transport networks is a key factor in facilitating trade and linking Algeria to its African environment, according to the same speaker.
The economic impact of the project will not be limited to the realization of a transport line, but will extend to the creation of an integrated economic ecosystem around it, including areas of activity, logistics platforms, storage spaces, services and processing industries, which will help to strengthen local development and increase investment opportunities along the line, Daroui said.
The importance of the project also lies, he said, in the fact that it is part of an integrated economic corridor linking production areas to markets, supporting local development and strengthening Algeria’s position as a link between North Africa and its African depth.
With regard to the follow-up to the project by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, he said that the follow-up reflected the desire to ensure the progress of the project and to remove obstacles to its implementation, given its structuring nature and its development and strategy dimensions.
The Government, at its meeting held on Wednesday, discussed the steps taken in preparation for the launch of the project, in accordance with the guidelines of the President of the Republic given at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 6 September 2026, where it had stressed the strategic nature of the project, considered a national priority, calling for renewed efforts to deliver it in a timely manner and to ensure its implementation by the end of 2028.