Transport
From The Report: Algeria 2013
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With $286bn allocated to major infrastructure developments, the government has devised a five-year plan for improving connections, including road networks, ports, urban mass transport and rail lines. Three major highway projects are either under way or in planning, including the East-West Highway, the Hauts Plateau Highway and the North-South Highway. The government is also expanding capacity at existing ports, as well as constructing new ones, and is set to invest more funds in urban transport options. Besides the existing tramline and metro in Algiers, 2013 marked the launch of new tram systems in both Oran and Constantine. A total of 14 other cities currently have above-ground mass transit systems in the planning stage, with the government set to invest a total of $6bn.

This chapter contains an interview with Takao Omori, CEO, Portek International.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

The road ahead: Modernisation in progress for land, sea and air infrastructure
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Efforts to gradually open its economy are leading Algeria to enhance its infrastructure, with the transport sector an obvious centrepiece. Under the current five-year plan, the government has put aside $286bn for infrastructure development. These efforts are hoped to compensate for decades of underinvestment, to address the increased stress on existing infrastructure caused by the rising population and improve economic efficiency. The new public investment policy is geared towards improving roads,…

Analysis

Making space: Port infrastructure is set to benefit from additional logistics areas
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With about 95% of the nation’s external trade passing through its ports, Algeria’s maritime transportation sector remains essential to the economy. Despite the country’s strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea, the modernisation of Algeria’s ports has lagged behind when compared to neighbouring countries. With port development mainly focused on the export of hydrocarbons, the amount of containerised traffic was a mere 16% of total cargo in 2011, according to international media reports.…

Analysis

Railway revamp: Expanded rail services will help link regions and reduce transport costs
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In an effort to improve transport within the country’s vast, and often challenging, geography, authorities have been investing in upgrading and expanding Algeria’s railways, which currently extends for 4573 km, with 3854 km in active use. The plans will bring the total rail network to around 12.000 km by 2017, according to the Ministry of Transport. Railway expansion is important for increasing connections between the country’s hinterlands and its network of ports along the Mediterranean.…

Analysis

Domestic impact: Knowledge transfer from foreign operators will help strengthen local capacities
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A major investment plan that is set to reach $286bn between 2009 and 2014 is helping to revamp Algeria’s transport infrastructure, through the construction and upgrading of highways, railways and urban transport systems. Parallel to the government’s infrastructure expansion ambitions, efforts are being made to increase the positive impact that that these development projects have on local firms. Because of the sheer size of some of the projects, as well as their distribution across several…