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Algeria’s Pending Accession to Arab Free-Trade Zone Raises Tension in the Business World

Scores of Algerian business leaders have voiced their opposition to their country’s accession to an Arab free-trade zone (AFTZ).
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North African Companies Coping with the Global Economic Crisis

The global economic meltdown is being felt in different ways by North African companies but ultimately the outcome is the same: pain and uncertainty. ...
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French Exporters Dominate the Lucrative Maghreb Cereal Market

As the year 2008 draws to its end, the Algerians would have spent $1 billion to import French wheat. Morocco is also a big consumer and importer of wheat and other cereals....
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Growing Signs of a Cooling Tunisian Economy

Tunisia, the region’s most aggressive and best run economy has witnessed a cooling of its growth in late 2008, a trend that will persist in 2009....
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A Brief Look at Algeria’s Trade Relations with France and Japan

While Algerian officials are generally satisfied with their country’s economic ties with France, there is growing frustration over Japan’s position in general....
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Is Morocco Sheltered from the Global Financial Meltdown?

The Moroccan financial authorities and national experts are hoping the global financial meltdown will not affect their own banking sector. ...
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An Impossible Mountain to Climb for Oil Producing Countries

Oran was in the media spotlight like never before. Hundreds of reporters and dozens of television cameras descended on the Algerian western city on the Mediterranean to cover an event that could potentially reshape entire economies and even political systems. ...
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2009 Economic Outlook: North Africa Staring at a Tough Year

By Arezki Daoud: Despite statements that their economies are in good shape and built to withstand the ongoing global economic meltdown, North African politicians must be aware that the outlook looks shaky at best. Various indications hint that the region should brace for a tough time this year, as each country in the region is facing a specific set of challenges. ...
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Algeria: Businesses Edge Closer to Universal Weekend

Completely out of synch with the world, Algeria is one of the handful of countries whose weekend is officially Thursday and Friday. ...
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Libya and Italy Sealing their Rapprochement with Libyan Investment in ENI

The Italian oil giant ENI is a big interest for the Libyan government. ENI has always been an active player in the Libyan hydrocarbon sector, even when the country was isolated. ...
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Signs of Economic Recovery in Morocco

The Moroccan economy is showing some positive momentum after a difficult time reacting to global economic crisis. With demand from European consumers picking up, Morocco is beginning to tally some good news. Although there is some temptation to credit European consumers for this start of recovery, the biggest positive impact has no doubt been the excellent weather conditions that have had strong positive repercussion on farming.
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Not a Bad Year for Some After All

Moroccan companies have released their results for fiscal 2009 and while most faced a challenging environment, a few managed to do very well. These reports look at five leading companies that are publically traded and review their 2009 financial performance.
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Where to Invest in the Moroccan Economy

Although 2009 was a difficult year for those looking to place their money in Moroccan general investment and in equities in particular, 2010 may not bring immediate relief either, but opportunities could be up for grabs.
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A Different North Africa on the Horizon, but Political Troubles Looming

Fast forward 10, 15 or 20 years from now and you will see a vastly different North Africa. While big media outlets are focused on the giant economies of China, Brazil, and others, mid-level economies like those of North Africa are also a place of substantial economic activity. Domestic investments, sometimes aided by the contribution of foreign investors, are fueling economic development and growth. Despite the global economic hiccup, the pace of investments committed into the infrastructure sector in North Africa has been moving at a healthy pace bringing the rest of the economy with it. And that bodes well for the region as it seeks to catch up with the rest of the world.
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It's All About Oil and Some

After eight years in a Scottish jail, the Libyan man convicted for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has been released on compassionate grounds. Abdel Basset Al-Megrahi is said to have only a few months to live and has arrived in Libya where he was greeted by thousands of supporters. While Scottish justice minister Kenny MacAskill argues his decision was an act of compassion toward a dying man, it is a lot more complex than that.
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Algeria to Slow Imports, Seeks to Reduce Credit Risk with New Finance Law Measures

The Algerian government enacted substantial changes in the country’s finance law, a move considered by many as drastic and severe. The changes were issued as part of Algeria’s mid-term complementary finance law for 2009.
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Spain to Lead a New European Economic Offensive in North Africa

Owing to booming oil revenues and aggressive sovereign wealth funds, rich Gulf countries have been leading the way as foreign investors in North Africa since 2003, as well as in the southern Mediterranean zone, displacing western investors.
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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.
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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.

Algeria’s Pending Accession to Arab Free-Trade Zone Raises Tension in the Business World

Scores of Algerian business leaders have voiced their opposition to their country’s accession to an Arab free-trade zone (AFTZ).
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Featured author
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Alessandro Bruno

Deputy Editor of The North Africa Journal Alessandro Bruno is a leading analyst of North African, Arab and international affairs. He specializes in strategic political and economic developments relating to the North African oil industry and Middle East politics. Mr. Bruno is also an analyst in the global investment banking sector for a leading international advisory group. Quoted in the press such as The Financial Times, Mr. Bruno holds a Master of Arts in Middle East Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Studies. He has completed course work for a PhD in Middle East Politics at the University of Toronto. Mr. Bruno brings a wealth of international experience, having lived and worked abroad in a variety of different countries. Most recently, he lived in Libya working as a Program Officer (JPO) with the United Nations Development Program. Mr. Bruno is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and French and has a working knowledge of Portuguese, Arabic and German.
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