Arezki Daoud
Renault-Nissan Project in Morocco Facing Massive Hurdles
The establishment of an auto assembly plant in Tanger, Morocco, is facing so many obstacles that it is unlikely to happen in the short term.
[Energy and Mining] Libya to Adjust Domestic Oil and Gas Prices, Seeks to Curb Consumption
The Libyan authorities are looking for ways to reduce domestic consumption of crude oil. ...
[Energy and Mining] Algeria in Anadarko’s 2009 Capital Program
The Algerian exploration sector will continue to benefit from Anadarko Petroleum’s 2009 capital program. ...
[Industries and Markets] New WiMAX Service for One Quarter Million Libyans
Last week Libya launched the country’s first WiMAX data service available in the country’s biggest urban centers....
[Industries and Markets] Daewoo Chemical and Libya in Talks over a Petrochemical Plant Project
The Libyans and the Korean Daewoo Chemical are reportedly negotiating the construction of a petrochemical plant in Libya....
[Industries and Markets] Private Group Issues Bond to Finance Mega City Development Project in Algiers
The lesser-known Dali Group, specialized in the hotel and services industries in Algeria is the first private enterprise to issue a bond to raise money for its real estate development project....
[Finance and Banking] Merger of Tunisian and Libyan Banks in the Offing
Sources in Tunis report that the governments of Libya and Tunisia are currently negotiating the terms of a merger of three banks to create a bi-national financial entity capable of financing large projects. ...
[Other Affairs] Italian Police Seize Counterfeit Algerian Dinars
The Italian financial enforcement authorities (GDF) have seized 3.5 million euros worth of counterfeit Algerian notes. The money was discovered in an underground printing operation in the southern town of Naples. ...
[Finance and Banking] Attijariwafa Bank in a Three-Horse Race to Control African Banking
The North Africa Journal : Three African banks have been racing to expand their presence in the continent. Among them is Morocco's Attijariwafa Bank, which has been facing the Togo-based Pan-African bank Ecobank and Nigeria's United Bank of Africa (UBA)....
[Economy and Trade] Maghreb Economic Performance: A Fair 2008, But Uncertain Outlook
Official data, as reported by North African governments and published by international financial institutions, seem to show that 2008 was not so bad for Maghreb economies after all. ...
[Economy and Trade] Is Libya Ready for the Private Sector?
Now that Libya reconciled with the West and has become the subject of praises from the likes of the IMF and the World Bank, the country will have to face a new set of realities that could either lead to sustained economic growth or deepen its dependency on foreign suppliers. ...
[Social and Labor Affairs] Harassment of Ethnic Berbers on the Rise in North Africa
North Africa is home of the Amazigh people, also known as Berbers. Although widespread in the Maghreb region, the Berbers continue to suffer from a minority status everywhere in the region, with government often ignoring their basic ethnic rights demands at best, or even actively contributing to blocking any progress toward cultural and economic improvement....
[Social and Labor Affairs] Harsh Winter Unveils Weakness in Morocco's Social and Economic Development
An arctic cold sweeping rural Morocco this winter has claimed the lives of at least 30 villagers in the hamlet of Anfgou alone....
[Corporate Affairs] BCP Bank and OCP Increase Capital, Swap Shares
The Moroccan phosphate and fertilizer giant relinquished 5.88% of its capital to Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), in exchange for a 6.62% equity participation in that bank. ...
[Security and Politics] Kaddafi the African
The house of Africa has always been in trouble and Libya's take over the leadership of the African Union (AU) is not likely to change anything. For one full year, Muamar Kaddafi will lead the AU, probably to an uncertain future. ...
[Security and Politics] Africa Under Muammar Kaddafi
On Sunday, February 1, 2009, Libyan leader Muammar Kaddafi was elected Chairman of African Union after a secret ballot. A hard-earned leadership perhaps after many years of arm-twisting tactics deployed by the sixty-seven year old Maghreb maverick to lead the Union....
[North Africa] A Troubled Bluefin Tuna in North Africa
The stocks of bluefin tuna along the southern shores of the Mediterranean coast are quickly depleting. This is also the case in the entire Mediterranean Sea, not just the souther rim. Over fishing and capture practices that some qualify as savage hunting are all leading to the fast disappearance of tuna stocks in the region. Of a particular worry is the aggressive stance of industrial fishing fleets that do not hesitate to seek and capture tuna even in the reproductive zone of the Gulf of Syrte, offshore Libya. Because of the profitable nature of this activity, fraud and lack of transparency are paramount, while the canning industry in the region is facing its own troubles. ...
[Security and Politics] Local Elections in Morocco: A Socialist-Islamist Alliance in the Offing
It has been a hard climb for the moderate Islamist PJD party in Morocco. Despite large support from the masses, in particular among the poor, the disenchanted and the ultra-conservatives, the PJD suffered a major setback following the May 16, 2003 terrorist attacks that rocked Morocco....
[North Africa] Islamic Banking in the Maghreb
Islamic financial instruments continue to attract consumer attention, with the central element of being interest-free products in compliance with Islamic Sharia law. According to financial sources, the value of funds involved in Islamic banking worldwide grew by an average of 15% annually over the past three years. Some analysts estimate Islamic banking to be worth some $500 billion, with the Middle East controlling a quarter of those assets. Kuwait is reportedly the biggest contributor, accounting for almost 29% of the sector’s value in the Gulf region. It is followed by Saudi Arabia with about 27%, and the UAE with 15.2%....[North Africa] Video: Muamar Kaddafi's Views of a Union with Europe
The Israeli offensive on Gaza has further strengthened the opponents of a Mediterranean Union (MU). But even before the Gaza disaster, many voices in the southern rim of the Med sea expressed skepticism to the initiative put forward by Frech President Sarkozy. Among the most vocal opponents of an MU is Libyan leader Muamar Kaddafi. In this press conference, Kaddafi shares his skepticism and the reasoning driving his opposition. Video of the press conference below....
[North Africa] New AQMI Attack on Algerian Military
AQMI is down but not out. Al Qaeda Maghreb, formerly known as the GSPC killed seven soldiers, according to Algerian officials...
[North Africa] WiMAX Makes its Debut in North Africa
Libya is North Africa's first market to deploy WiMAX, a technology that makes wireless access to the Internet available at a much wider range (up to 50 kilometers) than what Wi-Fi offers today. Built by three leading telecommunications equipment makers, France’s Alcatel, and China’s ZTE and Huawei, this new WiMAX network is meant to accommodate more than a quarter million users. The service will be managed by Libya Telecom and Technology Corporation (LTT), the country’s primary Internet mobile services company....
[Security and Politics] Post Gaza Analysis: Crisis of Leadership and Lack of Vision in the Arab World
The deaths of more than 1,000 people in Gaza highlight three important situations. The first is the heavy handed tactics of the Israeli military in their approach to the Palestinian population. ...
[Security and Politics] No Progress in Switzerland-Libya Feud
The sending of a Swiss diplomatic mission to Libya last week yielded no immediate results. ...Author info
Arezki Daoud
Arezki Daoud is a leading analyst on North African affairs. He has been editor of The North Africa Journal since 1996. The publication reaches over 50,000 decision makers worldwide. Having lived and worked in North Africa, Mr. Daoud's analytical expertise on the region spans from the energy and industrial sectors to security and political affairs. Arezki is familiar with the speech circuit and briefing the business and government communities on the countries of the Maghreb region and is widely quoted in the press.
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