1PREMIUM Bound

Tunisia’s stock market ended 2025 with record-breaking gains, as rising corporate earnings, increased liquidity, and stronger investor participation pushed benchmark indices to historic highs. The rally, now extending into a fifth consecutive year, reflects growing confidence in listed companies and a gradual reallocation of domestic savings toward equities, even as broader economic challenges persist.

Tunisia’s human rights landscape continues to draw scrutiny as a leading rights organization warns of expanding legal and institutional constraints on civil liberties. A new annual assessment points to the growing use of restrictive legislation, judicial pressure, and security-based governance to regulate political expression, social activism, and media activity. While formal legal structures remain in place, the report argues that the practical exercise of rights is increasingly limited, raising questions about the durability of the rule of law and civic space in the country.

Algeria’s 2026 finance law points to a renewed infrastructure investment cycle centered on rail transport, water systems, and national connectivity. With more than $10 billion allocated across rail, roads, ports, airports, and hydraulic infrastructure, the budget reflects a continued reliance on state-led capital spending to support industrial expansion, resource logistics, and regional integration. Major rail corridors linked to mining exports and southern connectivity underscore Algeria’s focus on long-horizon infrastructure assets, creating potential opportunities for contractors, equipment suppliers, engineering firms, and financing partners operating in large-scale public works.

In 2026, U.S. visa policy is entering a more restrictive phase for large parts of Africa and the Middle East. Countries including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Zimbabwe now face higher application costs, expanded biometric requirements, mandatory disclosure of social media and digital histories, and longer processing timelines. At the same time, several Sahel states have responded with reciprocal measures, suspending or banning visas for U.S. citizens. What began as a security-driven adjustment to immigration screening has evolved into a broader diplomatic signal, reshaping mobility, bilateral relations, and perceptions of U.S. engagement across Africa and the Middle East.