A broad intersectoral coordination meeting was held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mines in Algeria to discuss the measures required to launch the development of the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine, along with the Béchar–Tindouf mining railway line designated for transporting passengers, goods, and mineral materials.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State, Minister of Petroleum and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, and the Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure, Abdelkader Djaloui, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Interior, Local Authorities, and Transport, representing the minister.
Also attending were the Secretary of State in charge of Mines, Karima Bekir Tafer, as well as CEOs and directors of the entities responsible for the project’s implementation and operation, in addition to representatives of institutions affiliated with the various sectors involved.
According to a joint statement, the meeting was held to implement the directives of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune issued during the Cabinet meeting on November 16, which called for launching the local use and processing of iron ore from the Gara Djebilet mine in the first quarter of 2026, and putting the Béchar–Tindouf mining railway line into full operation in January 2026.
The meeting focused on coordinating technical and operational efforts related to the extraction and processing of iron ore at the Gara Djebilet mine, as well as monitoring the progress of key supporting infrastructure—foremost among them the 950-kilometer mining railway linking Béchar, Tindouf, and Gara Djebilet—which represents a fundamental pillar in establishing the project’s industrial value chain.
The participants agreed on taking all necessary measures within each sector’s domain, while ensuring full coordination, to meet the President’s directives regarding the start of local exploitation of iron ore in early 2026 and the handover of all sections of the western mining railway line by January 2026.
The project is described as a “first of its kind since independence,” marking a new economic direction aimed at strengthening industrial sovereignty by securing primary raw materials for Algeria’s steel industry, maximizing domestic added value, and diversifying the economy away from hydrocarbons. This aligns with the Cabinet’s decision to establish new iron ore processing plants in Tindouf, Béchar, and Naama, creating an integrated industrial chain linking extraction, processing, transformation, and transport to national steel complexes—led by the Tosyali plant in Oran, which will receive the first processed ore shipments via rail starting in 2026.
During the meeting, officials reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Gara Djebilet mine project and the ongoing railway construction, both of which represent a turning point in Algeria’s national development path due to their significant economic and social impact.
