People profile: Algeria’s Ali Haddah

Posted On 10 March 2019

Number of times this article was read : 201

Ali Haddad, : علي حداد (born 27 January 1965 in ) is an Algerian Businessman. He is the co-founder and CEO of ETRHB (Entreprise des Travaux Routiers, Hydrauliques et Bâtiments; Road, Hydraulic and Building Works Company in English), and has been the president of the FCE (Forum des Chefs d'Entreprises; Business Leaders Forum in English) since 2014.

2019 Ali Haddad was arrested while trying to cross into neighbouring Tunisia, local media say.

Ali Haddad was one of the country's richest men and a long-time backer of President , who was under intense pressure to quit.

Demonstrators had been demanding that Mr Bouteflika and those close to him step aside. According to , he is one of the richest men in Algeria.

ETRHB

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Ali Haddad graduated from the in 1988. With his five brothers, he founded the Entreprise des Travaux Routiers, Hydrauliques et Bâtiments (). In 1993, his company signed its first major deal, a 1-million euro contract to build a highway in , Algeria. By 2002, ETRHB was the largest private construction company in Algeria.

In 2003, ETRHB invested in the bitumen sector. In 2006, it launched a new business with Savem Spa, a subsidiary dedicated to automobile distribution. In 2013, Ali Haddad's group created CILFARM, a company specialized in the medical sector.

In 2015, ETRHB had assets estimated at 99 billion dinars (almost 1 billion euros), with Ali Haddad owning 16% of ETRHB.

USM Alger

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On August 4, 2010, the Algerian club opened up its capital as part of the professionalization process of the . Ali Haddad purchased 83% of the club for 700 million dinars ($6.5 million) and became its President.

Since 2010, USM Alger won the following titles:

  • 2012-2013: , ,
  • 2013-2014:
  • 2015-2016: ,

Media - Hotels

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In 1987, a year prior to creating the group ETRHB, Ali Haddad and his brothers opened a sea-front hotel in his hometown , Le Marin. He later expanded the hotel into a resort called Le Marin bis.

In 2009, Ali Haddad launched a press group that publishes two newspapers: Le Temps d’Algérie (in French) and Waqt El Djazaïr (in Arabic). Then in 2013 and 2014, the group launched two TV channels, and .

In 2011, Ali Haddad purchased 's historic Hotel Palace for 68 million euros. In 2016 with the help of Mr Aouissi Fakhreddine, he acquired two large luxury hotels in Barcelona: the Gran Hotel La Florida and the Hotel Miramar Barcelona.

FCE

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On 24 November 2014, Ali Haddad was elected President of the Algerian employers' organization Forum des Chefs d'Entreprises (FCE). The FCE acts as the representative of the Algerian private business sector recognized by the government. As President, he urged to allow the private sector a larger role in the management of the industrial areas and parks to offer more assistance to companies and boost economic development in the country, and to draft regulatory texts to enable more public-private partnerships. The FCE laid out a 2020-2030 plan with the government of Algeria to drive the economic development of the country.

Ali Haddad also has the mission to promote the and its private sector with foreign interlocutors and to foster partnerships. In November 2017, the former U.S State Secretary gave Ali Haddad a copy of the Peace and Friendship Treaty signed between Algeria and the United States in 1795. In February 2018, the FCE and 's created the Algerian-French Business Council.

During Haddad's mandate as President, the FCE shifts towards becoming a union, the Jil'FCE was created to gather the young business leaders under 40, and the FCE Foundation was created to get involved in social and humanitarian projects.

Arrest

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Algerian press reported on 31 March 2019 that Ali Haddad was arrested on the during an attempt to escape to Tunisia. He is accused of fraud and many financial crimes including bribery and using the influence of senior members of Bouteflika gouvernement. The Prosecutor General launched investigations into corruption and the illicit transfer of capital abroad.

Similarly, an investigation into corruption against Ali Haddad was, according to the same Channel, entrusted to the research brigade of the National Gendarmerie of Bab J’did, Algiers. It is worth mentioning that Haddad was apprehended in possession of three passports, obtained illegally with the complicity of the Daira of Bir Mourad Rias.

In November 2020, Ali Haddad has had his prison sentence reduced from 18 to 12 years.

Other tenures

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  • Member of the board of directors of the USA-Algeria Business Council (USABC)
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The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

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