Algerian Radio
The National Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CNESE) hosted a conference on Monday in Algiers titled "Gara Djebilet: From Mining Deposit to Sustainable Development Space," highlighting the economic and developmental dimensions of the project.
The event was attended by the Secretary of State to the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, in charge of Mines, Karima Bakir Tafer; the Advisor to the President of the Republic in charge of Finance, Banking, Budget, Foreign Exchange Reserves, Public Procurement, and International Payments, Farid Yaici; the President of the National Health Security Agency, Prof. Kamel Sanhadji; and the Director General of the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency (AAPI), Omar Rekkache. Also present were representatives from the Council of the Nation, various ministries, experts, and university professors.
Speaking at the event, CNESE President Mohamed Boukhari emphasized the economic significance of the deposit. He noted that it creates an integrated development space capable of bolstering the country's industrial security and improving the overall competitiveness of the national economy.
"This giant infrastructure, achieved in record time, represents the realization of an economic space that seamlessly integrates extraction, transportation, energy, industrial processing, and local development," he stated. "It forms a coherent and interconnected architecture that strengthens national sovereignty, guarantees industrial security, and enhances the competitiveness of the national economy while contributing to its diversification."
For her part, Ms. Tafer affirmed that the Gara Djebilet mine is the "cornerstone" in the process of strengthening the country's economic sovereignty. She emphasized that the President of the Republic's decision to launch the exploitation of this deposit, alongside the completion of the Tindouf-Béchar-Gara Djebilet mining railway line, marks a genuine turning point in the valorization of national mining resources.
The project is not limited to iron ore extraction but is part of a broader vision to establish an integrated industrial value chain encompassing extraction, treatment, and processing. This will help reduce imports and boost industrial exports, she added.
She also highlighted that Gara Djebilet, along with its associated industrial facilities in Tindouf, Béchar, and Naâma, will drive significant economic and social transformations. By reducing the import bill, boosting exports, and creating approximately 24,000 direct and indirect jobs, the project "will transform the Greater Southwest region into a major industrial hub, supporting national economic growth and strengthening regional development."
Speaking at the conference, Malek Ould Hammou, Director of the Mining Engineering Research Laboratory at the National Polytechnic School (ENP), stated that studies conducted on the project confirm its technical feasibility. He noted that the high iron ore content in the deposit exceeds global average requirements.
CNESE member Zahra Bouras observed that the project as a whole moves beyond traditional "transport corridor" or "resource corridor" models, which were previously limited to merely connecting production areas to transport networks.
She explained that the approach adopted for the Gara Djebilet project is based on developing an integrated corridor that links extraction sites directly to transport infrastructure and processing zones.
