✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers – November 2025 – In a compelling and analytically rich intervention delivered at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., Algeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Sabri Boukadoum, offered one of the most detailed and structured articulations to date of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s reformist roadmap and Algeria’s recalibrated diplomatic posture. The event marked the launch of the think tank’s new “Ambassador Series,” dedicated this year to the geopolitical and economic transformations shaping North Africa. Boukadoum’s address—both frank and strategically framed—set out the philosophical, political, and economic foundations of the Algerian state’s current trajectory.
He situated his remarks within the historic moment of his appointment at the end of 2019, immediately before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic—a global shock he acknowledged had significantly disrupted the initial timetable of the presidential programme. Yet, despite these constraints, Boukadoum argued that the early reforms advanced by Tebboune were “vast, structural, and foundational.” The constitutional revision, he noted, was the cornerstone: it introduced presidential term limits—“a sensitive question on our continent and elsewhere”—enhanced institutional checks and strengthened citizen oversight. Acknowledging that “nothing is perfect, neither in Algeria nor abroad,” he insisted that the essential question now is forward-looking: what model of governance Algerians aspire to, and whether society endorses the long-term vision. “I believe it does,” he asserted without hesitation.
A major segment of his address was devoted to Algeria’s evolving sociopolitical architecture. Boukadoum underscored the unique progress achieved in women’s political representation, noting that electoral law mandates that at least one-third of candidates at both local and national levels be women—an obligation that continues to challenge some parties but remains, in his words, “a major democratic achievement.” Equally central is youth empowerment in a country where nearly 70% of the population is under 30. This demographic reality, he stressed, is simultaneously “a formidable asset and a significant challenge.” In response, institutions such as the High Council for Youth and the National Council of Civil Society were created, reflecting the post-2020 institutional ecosystem now beginning to produce tangible results.
Boukadoum tied these reforms directly to the demands expressed during the Hirak, which he reminded the audience was “one of the rare peaceful mass movements in the region.” In its aftermath came new elections and the establishment of the Independent National Authority for Elections, which assumed supervisory powers previously held by the Interior Ministry. Even Algerians abroad, he noted, now vote through completely independent electoral teams rather than embassy-administered structures—an unprecedented shift in the governance of the diaspora vote.
On the economic front, Boukadoum was categorical: Algeria must open up, modernise, and secure its economic transition. This imperative lies at the heart of Tebboune’s programme. He highlighted the new investment law, which has clarified the legal environment and offered robust guarantees to local and foreign investors. The notorious 51/49 rule, he clarified, now applies only to strategic sectors. As a result, Algeria is progressively becoming “a favourable environment for investment—domestic and international alike.” He underscored the significance of Algeria’s ranking this year as first in the world in poverty reduction within the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework, a result he attributed to the state’s unwavering commitment to its social model.
Preserving this social model, Boukadoum insisted, remains non-negotiable. Essentials such as electricity, water, education, and healthcare remain “extremely affordable, if not nearly free,” an equity-driven approach he described as central to Algeria’s national identity. Yet the country cannot rely indefinitely on hydrocarbons. He identified ongoing diversification efforts in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and light industry, and emphasised the profound reforms undertaken in financing mechanisms. These include the creation of an institution analogous to the U.S. Small Business Administration and the establishment of a digital bank dedicated to start-ups—“a cultural transformation,” he said, that aims to empower a new economic generation.
Turning to foreign policy, Boukadoum presented a sober assessment of Algeria’s security environment. Bordering a fragile Sahel region, a fragmented Libya, persistent tensions with Morocco—“a very difficult neighbour”—and confronting challenges linked to irregular migration and terrorism, Algeria must tailor its diplomacy to a complex neighbourhood while upholding its long-standing principles. Historical memory remains an essential lens for understanding Algerian foreign policy: a nation that emerged from over a century of colonisation “naturally carries a deep imprint” and channels its national effort into “catching up on lost time” and consolidating a modern, sovereign, and resilient state.
Despite the path travelled, Boukadoum acknowledged that “significant challenges remain,” especially in accelerating economic reforms, generating sufficient employment, modernising governance, and maintaining transparency. Yet his message was ultimately one of measured confidence: Algeria’s transformation is underway, anchored in institutional renewal, societal participation, and a diplomatic vision shaped by principle, prudence, and ambition.
📡🌍 | About Dzair Tube Media Group | 🌍📡
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📰 Dzair Tube is a trailblazer in Algerian digital journalism, delivering high-quality content in Arabic, French, and English. With more than 📈 500,000 daily clicks, it ranks among the most influential media platforms in the country.
🏆 Awarded the President of the Republic’s Prize for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category (🗓 October 22, 2022), Dzair Tube is widely recognized for its editorial excellence and integrity.
📱 Massive Digital Reach:
🔴 350,000+ YouTube subscribers
🔵 6 million+ followers across Facebook pages
📸 70,000+ Instagram followers
🎥 Operating from state-of-the-art studios, Dzair Tube broadcasts rich and diverse programming, including:
🗞 News | ⚽ Sports | 🎭 Entertainment | 🕌 Religion | 🎨 Culture
🗣️ Featuring interactive talk shows and exclusive interviews with prominent figures from politics, business, arts, and more, Dzair Tube serves as a key platform for public discourse and civic engagement.
📰 Its print sports daily, “Dzair Sport,” enjoys over 50,000 daily downloads via the official website—further cementing the platform’s multimedia leadership.
🎖️ Honored with the Media Leadership Award by the former Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laâgab, and celebrated at the Hilals of the Television awards, Dzair Tube continues to lead with innovation, influence, and impact.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🌐 Stay Connected:
🔗 Website: www.dzair-tube.dz
🔗 English: www.dzair-tube.dz/en
📲 Follow us on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
