North Africa’s Economy
Algeria to require food industry to certify its products Halal
North Africa Journal- May 4, 2017: The Algerian government will require food vendors to certify their product to the Halal standard. The requirement is expected to be gradually rolled out starting June 2017, per a multi-ministerial decree. Authorities are currently...
After failing to make its case against Goldman Sachs, Libya’s sovereign wealth fund takes Société Générale to court
The North Africa Journal - May 4, 2017: The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) is back to the UK to sue the French financial giant Société Générale (SG) for corruption in front of a London court. LIA is still valued at some $60 billion and has been seeking to recover...
Uncertainty over Italy’s renewal of key gas deal with Algeria
The North Africa Journal - May 4, 2017: Since the beginning of the year, Italy has been sending mix signals about the renewal of its gas contract with Algeria. The current multi-year deal comes to an end in 2019, which the Italian Minister of Economic Development...
Social and labor unrest escalates in Tunisia as the government is running out of ideas
Over the past weekend, the Tunisian central government dismissed two senior provincial officials in the restive Tataouine province located in the southeast, near the Libyan border. In the capital, Prime Minister Chahed also fired his finance and education ministers,...
How the ban on electronics in US/UK bound flights serves two purposes: annoy travelers and reduce airline competition
The North Africa Journal - March 21, 2017: The US imposed a ban on most electronics on flights from Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE. The measure took effect on 21 March, after US authorities required airlines from said countries to...
Algeria: Major controversy over replacement of Sonatrach CEO
The North Africa Journal - March 20, 2017 - The CEO of the Algerian company Sonatrach is a very powerful man. Undoubtedly he has powers that exceed those of many ministers, and so appointing the right person should be no trivial exercise. Except that when politics...
How Egypt’s charm offensive abroad is in sharp contrast with its domestic politics
The North Africa Journal - March 8, 2017 - Egypt is working hard to fix its crumbling image abroad. Editorial after editorial, and article after article in the Western press have been critical of the Sisi government. Articles have been showing how the country...
Tunisia and Morocco looking for Africa markets for business and politics
The North Africa Journal: March 7, 2017- Two North African countries, Morocco and Tunisia, have been seeking membership into two regional economic groups in an effort to expand business opportunities and make fresh diplomatic gains. One of them has been accepted, the...
Labor Unions: Localized and segmented unions in North Africa seek better coordination
The North Africa Journal - Feb 21, 2017: Labor protests have been a major source of the heightened level of social unrest across the region. This past week saw its share of trade union unrest, largely driven by a labor sector that has regulations largely seen as...
Saudi Arabia-Tunisia: New honeymoon period in an uncharted territory
The North Africa Journal: Saudi Arabia is known for its efforts of pushing for its extreme Wahhabi agenda in North Africa and elsewhere. And after a brief intermission, Saudi Arabia is back in Tunisia, with the little help from its friends within the region. Saudi...