Cairo hosts GTR North Africa conference

Cairo will host GTR North Africa, a conference focused on trade financing in the region, on 13 and 14 October 2026. The event, organized by Global Trade Review (GTR), a British publication specializing in international trade financing, will take place at the Dusit Thani Lakeview in the New Cairo. It extends the GTR Egypt conference by expanding its scope to North Africa.

Conference features large participation and diverse topics

The organizers announced more than 600 participants, more than 30 speakers, and at least 25 exhibitors. The discussions will include topics such as banking infrastructure, supply chain financing, the role of export credit agencies, and the digitization of trade. A theme will be dedicated to investment flows between Gulf countries and Africa, within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Algerian and British officials to participate

The general director of the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACI), Chakib Kouidri, is among the announced speakers. Other participants include Farid Merabet, general director of NLC Communication Algeria, and Mohamed Saad, responsible for Egypt and Algeria at UK Export Finance (UKEF), the British export credit agency. The CACI has approached British partners in recent months.

Algeria’s trade with the UK grows

According to the British government, the United Kingdom's exports to Algeria, combined goods and services, reached 801 million pounds in 2025. Non-hydrocarbon exports have increased. On 8 January 2026, before the Economic Affairs Committee of the National People's Assembly, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, Kamel Rezig, reported 4.3 billion dollars in non-hydrocarbon exports during the first ten months of 2025, compared to 3.5 billion a year earlier, representing a 26 percent increase.

Algeria's economy relies heavily on hydrocarbons

In its April 2026 note, the World Bank recalled that hydrocarbons accounted for an average of 82.6 percent of Algerian exports between 2020 and 2024. Its report from the autumn of 2025 estimated a 11.8 percent increase in the value of non-hydrocarbon sales in the first half of 2025, driven mainly by volumes. Access to financing and securing payments directly affect the ability of companies to expand this base.

New regulations affect foreign trade

More regulated imports Foreign financiers must deal with stricter regulations on foreign purchases. Introduced in July 2025, the Forecasted Import Program (PPI) requires concerned operators to have their needs validated by the Ministry of Foreign Trade before bank domiciliation. The program was renewed in 2026, and the procedures now go through a digital platform. These rules respond to a significant increase in imports.

Economic ties between Algeria and Egypt strengthen

Economic relations between Algiers and Cairo have intensified in recent months. On 26 November 2025, the ninth session of the Algiers-Cairo Joint Commission, held in Cairo, resulted in several cooperation agreements. The two governments set the goal of increasing their trade to 5 billion dollars, compared to about 1 billion in 2024.

Algeria joins regional payment system

It was already from the Egyptian capital that PAPSS announced, on 15 August 2025, the accession of the Bank of Algeria to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, a few weeks before the African Intra-Trade Fair (IATF) organized in Algiers. Algeria has become the 18th member country of this network, designed to settle cross-border payments in local currencies. Its general director, Mike Ogbalu, is among the speakers of GTR North Africa.