ALGIERS – The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Arab-African Center for Investment and Development (CAAID), Amine Boutalbi announced the organization, on May 16 and 17 at the Sheraton Hotel (Algiers), of the 9th edition of the African Forum on Investment and Trade, under the theme “The African Gateway to Industry, Agriculture and Trade”.
In a statement to APS, on the sidelines of an “Iftar” dinner organized by CAAID in honor of members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Algeria, in the presence of investors from the public and private sectors, representatives of banks, insurance companies, as well as experts, teachers and African students, Mr. Boutalbi said that the event will bring together more than 650 economic actors of different nationalities.
The Forum will see “the signing of 30 agreements and the organization of more than 400 bilateral meetings (B to B) between Algerian and foreign companies with the aim of concluding partnerships in various fields and attracting foreign investment in Algeria, in particular within the framework of the facilities granted by the new Investment Code”, he specified.
The economic meeting will also make it possible to associate the Algerian community abroad with the effort of investment, diversification of the national economy and promotion of exports, in particular towards African countries, to be in tune with the the country’s economic policy which “is part of the process of promoting the economy, investment and export, by providing all the necessary means”.
On the agenda of the Forum is, according to the CEO of CAAID, the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAf) in promoting investment and intra-African trade.
In addition to experts from several regional and international organizations and centers, the economic event will see the participation of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), to which Algeria joined as a member country in July 2022, recalled Mr. Boutalbi, saying that this bank “will play a leading role in promoting exports between African countries and providing guarantees to exporters for the transfer of currency”.
In addition, the Iftar dinner was an opportunity to raise awareness of the national cultural heritage as well as the investment opportunities offered in Algeria and its contribution to the development effort in Africa, according to the CEO of CAAID.