Algeria expands China partnership with rail, satellites
Trans-Saharan railway and new satellites underscore Algiers’ push to diversify economy beyond hydrocarbons through strategic cooperation with Beijing
ALGIERS, Algeria (MNTV) — Algeria has strengthened its strategic partnership with China by completing a major Trans-Saharan railway and launching advanced communication satellites.
Officials say the projects will drive economic diversification, reduce reliance on hydrocarbons, and support long-term national development.
According to Ekhbary News, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune earlier this month inaugurated a 950-kilometer railway linking the iron ore-rich Gara Djebilet region in southern Algeria with the northern industrial hub of Béchar.
Tebboune described the project as one of the most significant national undertakings since independence, highlighting its importance for long-term economic transformation.
Gara Djebilet is estimated to hold around 3.5 billion tons of iron ore, making it among the largest reserves in the world.
Its remote desert location had long limited exploitation, but the new railway is designed to overcome those constraints, with plans for up to 24 ore trains operating daily to move resources toward processing and export centers.
The railway was built through a joint venture between China Railway Construction Corporation and Algerian partners, forming part of China’s wider Belt and Road Initiative across Africa.
Algerian officials say the project will stimulate job creation, support the domestic steel industry and revitalize economic activity across the Sahara, reducing reliance on oil and gas revenues.
Alongside infrastructure development, Algeria has also advanced its space and communications capabilities through cooperation with China.
On January 31, Algeria’s Alsat-3B communications satellite was launched aboard a Chinese Long March-2C rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, following the launch of Alsat-3A just two weeks earlier.
The satellites are expected to enhance national communications, land monitoring, resource management and weather forecasting, while also supporting Algeria’s digital transformation and strategic autonomy in space-based technologies.
Analysts say the expanding partnership reflects mutual strategic interests. For China, Algeria’s geographic position linking the Mediterranean to sub-Saharan Africa offers a gateway into North and West African markets.
For Algeria, Chinese investment and technology provide alternatives to Western-dominated partnerships while supporting modernization goals.
The combined railway and satellite projects signal Algeria’s pursuit of a new development model centered on large-scale infrastructure, technology transfer and diversified growth, with officials indicating cooperation with China is likely to deepen further in the coming years.
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