BY: Dr. Hana Saada
High-level meeting explores investment opportunities in hydrocarbons, renewables, critical minerals, and technological cooperation
Algiers, Algeria | April 29th, 2025 — In a diplomatic and economic move, Algeria and Canada reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across energy, mining, and renewable energy sectors. On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, the Minister of State, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Renewable Energies, Mr. Mohamed Arkab, received the Canadian Ambassador to Algeria, H.E. Ms. Robin L. Wettlaufer, at the ministry’s headquarters in Algiers. The meeting was held in the presence of the Secretary of State in charge of Renewable Energies, Mr. Noureddine Yassa, along with senior officials from the ministry.
The discussions focused on broadening the scope of cooperation and forging new pathways for mutually beneficial investment. The meeting underscored Algeria’s firm political will to attract foreign partners and deepen strategic collaboration, particularly in light of the country’s sweeping legislative reforms in investment, hydrocarbons, and mining.
Minister Arkab provided a detailed presentation of the legal and regulatory transformations recently introduced by the Algerian government. He emphasized that the new frameworks, including the Investment Law and the updated Hydrocarbons and Mining Codes, were designed to create a transparent, stable, and investor-friendly environment. These reforms, he noted, constitute a vital cornerstone for strengthening the inflow of foreign direct investment and facilitating access to Algeria’s dynamic energy and mining sectors.
In this regard, the Minister extended a direct invitation to Canadian companies to explore and capitalize on Algeria’s abundant opportunities, particularly in the areas of hydrocarbon exploration and production, downstream processing, seawater desalination, and localized manufacturing of energy-related equipment.
The two parties also examined the vast potential for bilateral cooperation in the mining sector, particularly in geological surveying, mapping, and the extraction and processing of mineral resources. Special emphasis was placed on critical and strategic minerals, areas where Canada possesses globally recognized expertise. Minister Arkab reaffirmed Algeria’s keen interest in benefiting from Canada’s advanced know-how in the mining industry and welcomed technology transfers and technical collaboration.
Turning to renewable energies, the meeting touched upon prospects for co-developing wind power projects, energy storage solutions, and modern clean-tech applications—including the development of green hydrogen. Both sides expressed interest in technical training, capacity-building, and technological transfers as pillars of long-term cooperation.
Ambassador Wettlaufer, for her part, praised the positive trajectory of Algerian-Canadian relations and reiterated Canadian companies’ growing interest in expanding their footprint in Algeria, particularly in high-priority sectors. She extended a formal invitation to Minister Arkab to participate in major economic and investment forums scheduled to take place in Canada this year, describing them as prime venues to reinforce economic ties, build partnerships, and facilitate direct business-to-business exchanges.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties hailed the promising outlook for economic cooperation and pledged to maintain active coordination to transform shared visions into tangible, high-impact projects that serve the strategic interests of both Algeria and Canada.
