North Africa’s Economy
Algeria’s E-Commerce Growth Signals New Phase for Regional Trade
Algeria’s e-commerce sector, now valued at $1.9 billion in 2025, is expanding rapidly with nearly 200,000 online merchants. Domestic platforms such as SINOBATIS, Colivraison, Superetti, and DECATHLON El Djazair are reshaping consumer habits, while challenges in logistics, trust, and regulation remain central to sustaining growth.
Spain Targets Bribery in Algerian Public Works Scandal
Spanish prosecutors seek major prison sentences and fines for politicians and business leaders accused of paying bribes to win Algerian public contracts in a decade-long corruption scandal.
Morocco Holds Rates Steady Amid Global Uncertainty
Morocco’s central bank maintains its interest rate at 2.25%, citing steady inflation and job growth despite global uncertainty and water shortages.
Infrastructure: Egypt’s High-Speed Rail Network Nears Completion
Egypt’s high-speed rail and monorail projects reach 67% completion, connecting key cities, boosting tourism, and transforming national mobility by late 2025.
Extraction Without Value: Mali’s Role in the Global Lithium Rush
Mali’s first lithium mine shows how global demand for critical minerals can leave local communities behind. While China secures the raw materials it needs, Mali risks missing the chance to build jobs, industries, and real value at home.
Algeria Rebounds as Spain’s Primary Gas Supplier as Bilateral Trade Spikes
Algeria has reclaimed its position as Spain’s leading natural gas supplier, with bilateral trade surging after a two-year diplomatic freeze. This economic rebound highlights the strategic importance of the energy link that endured despite significant political tensions.
Turkey: Erdogan’s Winning Strategy in Africa
Despite the wave of coups d’état in West Africa, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had close ties to the ousted regimes of Guinea, Mali, and Niger, has successfully protected his country’s interests in the region. He has done so through a strategy that combines drone diplomacy with business interests.
Algeria Officially Joins ASEAN
Algeria just made a big splash on the global stage, officially joining ASEAN as a partner (What is Asean: An Explainer). The North African nation is essentially hitting the reset button on its foreign policy, shifting its gaze from its usual European and Mediterranean...
Egypt: Inflation Creeps Back Up While Foreign Reserves Shrink
Egypt’s inflation jumps and foreign reserves dip, raising fresh concerns about the country’s fragile economic recovery.
Algeria Cuts French Imports in Bid for Self-Sufficiency and Diversification
France once held a firm place in Algeria’s food supply chain, from wheat fields in Burgundy to cattle farms in the Auvergne. But over the past year, that connection has weakened. Quietly but steadily, Algeria has stopped importing key French agricultural products—first wheat, then young cattle—while looking elsewhere to meet its needs.