People profile: Algeria’s Ali Haddah

Posted On 10 March 2019

Number of times this article was read : 86

Ali Haddad

Ali Haddad, arabic: علي حداد (born 27 January 1965 in Tizi Ouzou) 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),[1] and has been the president of the FCE (Forum des Chefs d'Entreprises; Business Leaders Forum in English) since 2014.[2]

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 Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was under intense pressure to quit.

Demonstrators had been demanding that Mr Bouteflika and those close to him step aside. According to Forbes, he is one of the richest men in Algeria.[1]

ETRHB

Ali Haddad graduated from the Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou in 1988. With his five brothers, he founded the Entreprise des Travaux Routiers, Hydrauliques et Bâtiments (ETRHB Haddad Group). In 1993, his company signed its first major deal, a 1-million euro contract to build a highway in Kabylie, Algeria.[3][4] By 2002, ETRHB was the largest private construction company in Algeria.[5]

In 2003, ETRHB invested in the bitumen sector. In 2006, it launched a new business with Savem Spa, a subsidiary dedicated to automobile distribution.[6] In 2013, Ali Haddad's group created CILFARM, a company specialized in the medical sector.[7]

In 2015, ETRHB had assets estimated at 99 billion dinars (almost 1 billion euros), with Ali Haddad owning 16% of ETRHB.[8]

USM Alger

On August 4, 2010, the Algerian football club USM Alger opened up its capital as part of the professionalization process of the domestic league.[9] Ali Haddad purchased 83% of the club for 700 million dinars ($6.5 million) and became its President.[10]

Since 2010, USM Alger won the following titles:

Media - Hotels

In 1987, a year prior to creating the group ETRHB, Ali Haddad and his brothers opened a sea-front hotel in his hometown Azzefoun, Le Marin. He later expanded the hotel into a resort called Le Marin bis.[10]

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, Dzaïr TV and Dzaïr News.[7]

In 2011, Ali Haddad purchased Barcelona's historic Hotel Palace for 68 million euros.[11] 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.[10][12]

FCE

On 24 November 2014, Ali Haddad was elected President of the Algerian employers' organization Forum des Chefs d'Entreprises (FCE).[2] The FCE acts as the representative of the Algerian private business sector recognized by the government.[13][14] 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.[15] The FCE laid out a 2020-2030 plan with the government of Algeria to drive the economic development of the country.[16]

Ali Haddad also has the mission to promote the Algerian economy and its private sector with foreign interlocutors and to foster partnerships.[17] In November 2017, the former U.S State Secretary Rex Tillerson gave Ali Haddad a copy of the Peace and Friendship Treaty signed between Algeria and the United States in 1795.[18] In February 2018, the FCE and France's MEDEF created the Algerian-French Business Council.[19]

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.[20][21]

Arrest

Algerian press reported on 31 March 2019 that Ali Haddad was arrested on the Algeria–Tunisia border 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. [22][23]

In November 2020, Ali Haddad has had his prison sentence reduced from 18 to 12 years.[24]

Other tenures

  • Member of the board of directors of the USA-Algeria Business Council (USABC)[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mfonobong Nsehe, 5 Multi-Millionaires From Algeria You Should Know, Forbes.com, 5 June 2018
  2. ^ a b Algeria: Ali Haddad Elected New President of FCE, Allafrica.com, 27 November 2014
  3. ^ (in French) Farid Alilat, Ali Haddad, Jeuneafrique.com, 11 February 2008
  4. ^ George Joffe, Ali Haddad and Algeria’s ‘economic barons’, Alaraby.co.uk, 27 March 2015
  5. ^ (in French) Miriam Belala, Ceux qui font bouger le pays Archived 2018-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, Lepoint.fr, 11 October 2002
  6. ^ (in French) Filiales du groupe, Etrhb.com
  7. ^ a b Biography, Abf.ba
  8. ^ (in French) ETRHB: de quoi est faite la fortune de Haddad, Bourse-dz.com, 11 February 2018
  9. ^ Kenouche, Fouzi (4 August 2010). "Cérémonie au Sheraton Aujourd'hui, l'USMA sera pro" (in French). Competition. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  10. ^ a b c Robson Sharuko, The big boys’ club, Herald.co.zw, 27 April 2017
  11. ^ (in Dutch) Mariska van Gorp, Hotel Palace Barcelona te koop, Hospitality-management.nl, 28 October 2013
  12. ^ (in Spanish) Ignasi Jorro, Ali Haddad busca el tono de sus inversiones hoteleras en Barcelona, Elespanol.com, 2 May 2018
  13. ^ Nadir Gueddouh, Algeria: Ali Haddad pledges to respect plans, set by President Bouteflika, Dzbreaking.com, 25 August 2017
  14. ^ Can Ali Haddad become more than just a kingmaker?, Menas.co.uk, 26 May 2016
  15. ^ Tea Ivanovic, Interview Ali Haddad, President of the Algerian Business Leaders Forum (FCE): Public-private partnerships to establish a win-win situation for the economy, Oslobodjenje.ba, 7 November 2017
  16. ^ Ali Haddad, President, Algerian Business Leaders Forum (FCE): Interview, Oxfordbusinessgroup.com, 2015
  17. ^ Lakhdar Rezaoui, Dalila Henache, Businessman Ali Haddad met with four ambassadors at once, Echoroukonline.com, 21 April 2015
  18. ^ Dalia Henache, Rex Tillerson's Gift To Ali Haddad, Linkedin.com, 21 November 2017
  19. ^ Algerian-French Business Council created in Algiers, Aps.dz, 7 February 2018
  20. ^ (in French) Malick Diawara, Ali Haddad : « L'Algérie est prête à mobiliser toutes ses forces vives », Lepoint.fr, 28 March 2018
  21. ^ (in French) Ali Haddad annonce la création d’une Fondation du FCE, destinée aux actions de solidarité, Algerie-eco.com, 2 January 2018
  22. ^ "Exclusif : Ali Haddad arrêté au poste frontalier d'Oum Teboul". El Watan (in French). 31 March 2019. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Arrestation d'Ali Haddad en Algérie : "Il utilisait très bien le gouvernement" raconte un proche". April 2019.
  24. ^ "Algeria". BBC News. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  25. ^ Ali Haddad (Algerian Muslim Businessman), Reingex.com
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