Algeria is preparing to host the 4th edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) from September 4 to 10 in Algiers, aiming to present itself as a driving force for continental economic integration.
Branded by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as a “historic turning point” for Africa, the fair promises grand contracts and pan-African collaboration, yet critics warn it masks underlying economic weaknesses.
Nearly 2,000 exhibitors from 140 countries and 35,000 trade visitors are expected at the new Algiers Exhibition Center, with organisers targeting over €44 billion in deals.
However, Algeria’s longstanding challenges—bureaucratic hurdles, limited industrial competitiveness, and unfinished infrastructure—may hinder the fulfilment of these ambitions, as seen in previous editions.
Official rhetoric emphasises Algeria’s Pan-African legacy and its role as a continental “locomotive,” citing projects such as the Algiers-Lagos trans-Saharan highway, the trans-Saharan gas pipeline, and a regional fiber optic backbone.
Yet most of these initiatives, announced decades ago, remain incomplete or delayed, illustrating the gap between aspiration and reality.
The country’s heavy reliance on hydrocarbons, which still account for over 90% of exports, continues to constrain economic diversification.
Algeria has also highlighted the opening of public banks in Mauritania and Senegal, the granting of university scholarships, and the creation of a billion-dollar cooperation agency. While these measures project an image of continental leadership and social investment, domestic challenges—including high unemployment, inflation, and deindustrialisation—paint a starkly different picture.
With the slogan “Africa for Africans,” Algiers positions itself as a champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Yet the Algerian market remains one of the continent’s most closed, hampered by restrictive bureaucracy and non-tariff barriers that limit trade opportunities.
The upcoming IATF therefore appears as much a political statement as a trade catalyst. Algeria seeks to solidify its image as a regional hub, but without structural reforms and greater economic openness, its ability to lead Africa’s intra-continental trade remains uncertain.
The fair will test whether Algeria’s ambitions can translate into tangible economic impact or remain a showcase of contested leadership.
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