Amine Boutalbi, Director Arab-African Centre for Investment and Development (CAAID)
In his interview with Eurasian Dialogue, Director the Arab-African Centre for Investment and Development (CAAID) Amine Boutalbi outlined the Centre’s mission and goals, Algeria’s investment opportunities, its relations with Russia, trade and economic cooperation between Africa and Eurasia.
– Mr. Boutalbi, could you tell us about your Arab-African Centre for Investment and Development, what are its goals and scope of activity? Which countries does the CAAID encompass?
– The Arab-African Centre for Investment and Development is an inter-national web of opportunities and connections aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the Arab world and African countries by leveraging investment and boosting trade. Our goal is to build economic bridges that promote inclusive and sustainable development. We seek to strengthen cooperation, unlock eco-nomic potential and develop trade in African and Arab countries in an effort to turn Algeria into a hub of Arab-African cooperation. Our work is based on the principles of mutual cooperation and partnership with many countries of the African Union and the League of Arab States perfectly in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063.
In a nutshell, our mission is to help businesses and entrepreneurs develop their potential. We support initiatives designed to enhance economic and investment cooperation and optimise the use of resources. It’s worth noting that no project is likely to become a success without a rigorous technical and economic analysis, so CAAID pro-vides experts and researchers to fulfil any audacious ideas. So, Algeria, as the leading country in Africa, offers great opportunities to African and international enterprises to benefit from the Algerian market and strengthen trade ties with the Arab world.
– As you’ve mentioned, CAAID enables African and international enterprises and investors to gain access to the Algerian market. How would you describe Algeria’s economic, trade and investment potential? Which economic sectors are in need of foreign investment?
– Algeria boasts vast natural resources and pursues an economic policy designed to attract foreign investment. As for the key sectors requiring investment, they include renewable energy, agriculture, technology, and processing industries. The country has devised a new industrial strategy based on three core pillars: the use of natural resources, the incentives for sectors favouring integration into production chains, and the development of modern industries. Algeria has a modern infrastructure: 45 ports, 35 airports (including 13 international airports), a 4,200km railway network and a 4,500km Trans-Saharan Road (TSR) corridor that links Algeria with Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Chad. All this sets the necessary conditions for future regional economic integration.
– The Arab-African Centre for Investment and Development is an inter-national web of opportunities and connections aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the Arab world and African countries by leveraging investment and boosting trade. Our goal is to build economic bridges that promote inclusive and sustainable development. We seek to strengthen cooperation, unlock eco-nomic potential and develop trade in African and Arab countries in an effort to turn Algeria into a hub of Arab-African cooperation. Our work is based on the principles of mutual cooperation and partnership with many countries of the African Union and the League of Arab States perfectly in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063.
In a nutshell, our mission is to help businesses and entrepreneurs develop their potential. We support initiatives designed to enhance economic and investment cooperation and optimise the use of resources. It’s worth noting that no project is likely to become a success without a rigorous technical and economic analysis, so CAAID pro-vides experts and researchers to fulfil any audacious ideas. So, Algeria, as the leading country in Africa, offers great opportunities to African and international enterprises to benefit from the Algerian market and strengthen trade ties with the Arab world.
– As you’ve mentioned, CAAID enables African and international enterprises and investors to gain access to the Algerian market. How would you describe Algeria’s economic, trade and investment potential? Which economic sectors are in need of foreign investment?
– Algeria boasts vast natural resources and pursues an economic policy designed to attract foreign investment. As for the key sectors requiring investment, they include renewable energy, agriculture, technology, and processing industries. The country has devised a new industrial strategy based on three core pillars: the use of natural resources, the incentives for sectors favouring integration into production chains, and the development of modern industries. Algeria has a modern infrastructure: 45 ports, 35 airports (including 13 international airports), a 4,200km railway network and a 4,500km Trans-Saharan Road (TSR) corridor that links Algeria with Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Chad. All this sets the necessary conditions for future regional economic integration.
– On more than one occasion, including at the International Municipal BRICS Forum in August 2024, you’ve stressed the need to expand economic ties with Greater Eurasia. To what extent do you think the potential for cooperation between Africa and Eurasia is strong? In what areas could it be most successful?
– Well, trade and economic cooperation between the Eurasian and African countries is steeped in his-tory. And nowadays, our interactions unlock the potential not only at the state level, but also at the level of regional economic associations, such as the EAEU. Eurasia-Africa cooperation has recently been guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) be-tween the Eurasian Economic Com-mission and the African Union on eco-nomic cooperation (October 2019), which defines the priorities of our partnership, including in infrastructure, agriculture, trade, investment, entrepreneurship development, and regional economic integration. Addressing food security concerns can also bring the EAEU-Africa co-operation to a new level.
Technical regulation, veterinary and phytosanitary monitoring are also expected to become areas of cooperation. At last, the African market shows great demand for minerals, chemical products, metals, machinery and equipment produced in the EAEU countries. Meanwhile, African countries supply the EAEU with agricultural raw materials, vegetables, fruit, textiles, and clothing. So, clearly, cooperation between Africa and Eurasia has tremendous potential. It also offers significant opportunities for exchanging knowledge and technology. We are now actively engaged in building closer ties with Eurasia to develop together and reap mutual economic benefits.
– We also heard that an initiative to establish a free trade zone between Algeria and Russia is currently under consideration. Do you believe that such an agreement will give additional impetus to economic cooperation between Russia, the EAEU at large and Algeria?
– I believe that a free trade zone be-tween Algeria and Russia would open up new prospects for economic cooperation. This agreement could intensify bilateral trade, provide great opportunities for Algerian and Russian businesses, and boost import-export to an extent that would match the dynamics of our bilateral political ties. Arrangements under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will not only contribute to building alternative supply chains and expanding the geography of duty-free trade, but will also open up new opportunities for economic integration and pave the way for further bilateral cooperation in health-care, information technology, agriculture, transport, energy, industry, environment protection, and education.
– Well, trade and economic cooperation between the Eurasian and African countries is steeped in his-tory. And nowadays, our interactions unlock the potential not only at the state level, but also at the level of regional economic associations, such as the EAEU. Eurasia-Africa cooperation has recently been guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) be-tween the Eurasian Economic Com-mission and the African Union on eco-nomic cooperation (October 2019), which defines the priorities of our partnership, including in infrastructure, agriculture, trade, investment, entrepreneurship development, and regional economic integration. Addressing food security concerns can also bring the EAEU-Africa co-operation to a new level.
Technical regulation, veterinary and phytosanitary monitoring are also expected to become areas of cooperation. At last, the African market shows great demand for minerals, chemical products, metals, machinery and equipment produced in the EAEU countries. Meanwhile, African countries supply the EAEU with agricultural raw materials, vegetables, fruit, textiles, and clothing. So, clearly, cooperation between Africa and Eurasia has tremendous potential. It also offers significant opportunities for exchanging knowledge and technology. We are now actively engaged in building closer ties with Eurasia to develop together and reap mutual economic benefits.
– We also heard that an initiative to establish a free trade zone between Algeria and Russia is currently under consideration. Do you believe that such an agreement will give additional impetus to economic cooperation between Russia, the EAEU at large and Algeria?
– I believe that a free trade zone be-tween Algeria and Russia would open up new prospects for economic cooperation. This agreement could intensify bilateral trade, provide great opportunities for Algerian and Russian businesses, and boost import-export to an extent that would match the dynamics of our bilateral political ties. Arrangements under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will not only contribute to building alternative supply chains and expanding the geography of duty-free trade, but will also open up new opportunities for economic integration and pave the way for further bilateral cooperation in health-care, information technology, agriculture, transport, energy, industry, environment protection, and education.
No doubt, we’ve got some challenges, such as different regulatory frameworks and infrastructure, but I believe that strong political will on both sides shall help to surmount all hurdles, particularly given that this Agreement aimes to further strengthen the strategic partnership.
– The year 2024 marked the 10th Anniversary of the African Investment and Commerce Forum (AFIC10) organised by CAAID. How would you evaluate its outcome? And what goals would you set ahead for the 11th Forum due in May 2025 in Algeria?
– The African Investment and Commerce Forum is a vital platform for fostering business contacts. What is more, the Forum has long been one of the largest economic events in Africa. In 2024, Algeria hosted the event under the theme “Your Road to the African Market,” it was held in cooperation with many national and international organisations and institutions. It should be noted that this largescale influential event was attended by delegations from 39 nations, including Russia.
The Forum featured seminars and workshops, as well as many bilateral business meetings to conclude agreements and deals. The main goal of the event was to offer practical and expert-analytical assistance to businesses seeking to enter and gain a foothold in African markets, to establish partnerships, business and trade relations, and interact with state authorities of African countries.
The 10th African Investment and Commerce Forum proved to be a success, uniting many investors and businesses from all across Africa. We managed to consolidate ties be-tween the participants and showcase new investment opportunities. The event helped to identify key niches for entrepreneurs, promising investment sectors, and economic cooperation potential. Plenty of enterprises showed presentations of their range of products. The Forum sessions focused on such themes and tracks as food and technology; innovation, education and reinforcement of the economic system; energy transformation and alternative energy sources; artificial intelligence; and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Special attention was paid to the expertise and engagement in economic transformation in Africa, investment opportunities of the Republic and in-ternal trade rules. Given the mounting interest in the event, we’ve already begun preparations for the 11th Forum, which is scheduled to take place on May 10 and 11, 2025. We expect more than 1500 entrepreneurs, investors and experts, 60 international organisations and 250 exhibitors to attend. For the 11th Forum, our goal is to expand the pool of participants and propose more far-reaching projects to foster economic growth throughout the African continent. And we look forward to Russia’s active participation, in particular in view of its growing interest in investment in Africa.
– In April 2025, Moscow will be hosting the second major meeting of the World Forum “New Era — New Ways.” The first event held in 2024 brought together delegates from 33 countries, with Africa represented by Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, and Cameroon. What’s your attitude towards the idea of an open dialogue between the countries within the framework of this event? Could we hope to see Algeria’s delegation at the upcoming meeting?
– The year 2024 marked the 10th Anniversary of the African Investment and Commerce Forum (AFIC10) organised by CAAID. How would you evaluate its outcome? And what goals would you set ahead for the 11th Forum due in May 2025 in Algeria?
– The African Investment and Commerce Forum is a vital platform for fostering business contacts. What is more, the Forum has long been one of the largest economic events in Africa. In 2024, Algeria hosted the event under the theme “Your Road to the African Market,” it was held in cooperation with many national and international organisations and institutions. It should be noted that this largescale influential event was attended by delegations from 39 nations, including Russia.
The Forum featured seminars and workshops, as well as many bilateral business meetings to conclude agreements and deals. The main goal of the event was to offer practical and expert-analytical assistance to businesses seeking to enter and gain a foothold in African markets, to establish partnerships, business and trade relations, and interact with state authorities of African countries.
The 10th African Investment and Commerce Forum proved to be a success, uniting many investors and businesses from all across Africa. We managed to consolidate ties be-tween the participants and showcase new investment opportunities. The event helped to identify key niches for entrepreneurs, promising investment sectors, and economic cooperation potential. Plenty of enterprises showed presentations of their range of products. The Forum sessions focused on such themes and tracks as food and technology; innovation, education and reinforcement of the economic system; energy transformation and alternative energy sources; artificial intelligence; and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Special attention was paid to the expertise and engagement in economic transformation in Africa, investment opportunities of the Republic and in-ternal trade rules. Given the mounting interest in the event, we’ve already begun preparations for the 11th Forum, which is scheduled to take place on May 10 and 11, 2025. We expect more than 1500 entrepreneurs, investors and experts, 60 international organisations and 250 exhibitors to attend. For the 11th Forum, our goal is to expand the pool of participants and propose more far-reaching projects to foster economic growth throughout the African continent. And we look forward to Russia’s active participation, in particular in view of its growing interest in investment in Africa.
– In April 2025, Moscow will be hosting the second major meeting of the World Forum “New Era — New Ways.” The first event held in 2024 brought together delegates from 33 countries, with Africa represented by Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, and Cameroon. What’s your attitude towards the idea of an open dialogue between the countries within the framework of this event? Could we hope to see Algeria’s delegation at the upcoming meeting?
– We are well aware that the World Forum “New Era — New Ways” is meant to serve as an intellectual hub of the multipolar world, and the primary task of the Forum is to support your President’s initiative to shape the Greater Eurasian Space, to unite nations and integration associations in pursuit of equitable and fair cooperation. The principles of this event are close to ours, that is respect for the sovereignty of all participants of the dialogue, traditional values, cultural and historical features, and the right of peoples to an independent and democratic choice of ways of political, social and economic development.
We also find the Forum’s goals, such as shaping the common future for prosperity, peace and security, promoting spiritual and moral development, improving the well-being, and building a favourable and safe environment for citizens, to be in line with these principles. It’s all the more important that the work of the World Forum is not directed against any State, international or civil society organisation. So, we are definitely looking for-ward to participating in this event. As I’ve already said, Africa-Eurasia relations have great potential, and we’re confident that constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation are vital to our common economic development.
– Relations between Algeria and Russia have been developing for many decades — bilateral diplomatic ties were established back in 1962, and the USSR became the first state in the world to recognize Algeria. How would you describe these relations in the present day, given the extremely difficult geopolitical situation?
– Indeed, relations between Algeria and Russia are rooted deep in history, they’ve existed for many decades, and still remain strong and stable in many areas, truly constructive and mutually advantageous, based on respect and recognition of mutual interests. Today, our relations continue to develop in the spirit of friendship and mutual support, and in this vein, we see great potential ahead. With that, it should be noted that the Declaration on In-depth Strategic Partnership, signed during the visit of Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboun to Russia at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, has significantly strengthened our cooperation. The Declaration marked the start of a more intense stage of bilateral relations, it will greatly contribute to the diversification of economic and trade cooperation, to the development of economic opportunities for Russia, Algeria and Africa as a whole.
I’d also like to remind that the Governments of Russia and Algeria concluded an Agreement on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. And we are fully committed to reinforcing the mutually beneficial and equitable partnership, developing coordination in international organisations, sharing experience in energy and food security, cooperating in nu-clear technologies, creating joint ventures, holding fairs and exhibitions, expanding cultural and humanitarian ties. All this will contribute to deepening economic and cultural ties, developing trade relations, increasing mutual investments and economic growth of our nations. And most importantly, it will help to overcome the current geopolitical and economic challenges.
We also find the Forum’s goals, such as shaping the common future for prosperity, peace and security, promoting spiritual and moral development, improving the well-being, and building a favourable and safe environment for citizens, to be in line with these principles. It’s all the more important that the work of the World Forum is not directed against any State, international or civil society organisation. So, we are definitely looking for-ward to participating in this event. As I’ve already said, Africa-Eurasia relations have great potential, and we’re confident that constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation are vital to our common economic development.
– Relations between Algeria and Russia have been developing for many decades — bilateral diplomatic ties were established back in 1962, and the USSR became the first state in the world to recognize Algeria. How would you describe these relations in the present day, given the extremely difficult geopolitical situation?
– Indeed, relations between Algeria and Russia are rooted deep in history, they’ve existed for many decades, and still remain strong and stable in many areas, truly constructive and mutually advantageous, based on respect and recognition of mutual interests. Today, our relations continue to develop in the spirit of friendship and mutual support, and in this vein, we see great potential ahead. With that, it should be noted that the Declaration on In-depth Strategic Partnership, signed during the visit of Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboun to Russia at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, has significantly strengthened our cooperation. The Declaration marked the start of a more intense stage of bilateral relations, it will greatly contribute to the diversification of economic and trade cooperation, to the development of economic opportunities for Russia, Algeria and Africa as a whole.
I’d also like to remind that the Governments of Russia and Algeria concluded an Agreement on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. And we are fully committed to reinforcing the mutually beneficial and equitable partnership, developing coordination in international organisations, sharing experience in energy and food security, cooperating in nu-clear technologies, creating joint ventures, holding fairs and exhibitions, expanding cultural and humanitarian ties. All this will contribute to deepening economic and cultural ties, developing trade relations, increasing mutual investments and economic growth of our nations. And most importantly, it will help to overcome the current geopolitical and economic challenges.