• Algeria’s NESDA and the Algerian‑Saudi Investment Company sign cooperation deal focused on research, feasibility and investment support for SMEs and micro‑enterprises.

• Agreement links project readiness with access to ASICOM’s investment capacity, but no specific funding amounts were released.

• Algeria seeks to strategy to diversify its economy and deepening economic engagement with Saudi Arabia.

The National Agency for Support and Development of Entrepreneurship (NESDA/ANSEJ) and the Algerian-Saudi Investment Company (ASICOM) signed a cooperation agreement on 24 February 2026 to strengthen financing and investment mechanisms for micro-enterprises and small businesses, according to official statements.

Signed during a conference in Algiers on small-business development opportunities, the agreement integrates NESDA’s entrepreneurship support programmes with ASICOM’s investment capacity. Selected micro-enterprises backed by NESDA may obtain financing or investment from ASICOM, subject to project evaluation and compliance with the Algerian-Saudi company’s investment policy.

A central operational pillar of the partnership is the preparation of feasibility studies, analytical assessments and investment-ready project proposals. However, no specific funding volumes, financial commitments or guarantee mechanisms were disclosed at signing, leaving the scale of potential capital deployment undefined.

Established in 2008 under a bilateral agreement between Algeria and Saudi Arabia, ASICOM was capitalized at 8 billion Algerian dinars (approximately USD 60 million), equally owned by both governments. The company finances projects through equity participations, credit allocations and other investment instruments across multiple sectors.

According to its published portfolio data, ASICOM’s cumulative investment activity totals 26 billion DA, including 5.9 billion DA in equity participations and 1.8 billion DA in allocated credits. Its portfolio spans retail assets such as City Center Mall and Carrefour hypermarkets, industrial projects in steel and brick manufacturing, and tourism and hospitality ventures in regions including Skikda and Bejaia.

The agreement comes amid Algeria’s ongoing efforts to diversify its economy beyond hydrocarbons, with SME development and private-sector expansion identified as key drivers of employment and economic resilience. Official data from early 2026 recorded 743 registered investment projects worth more than 889 billion DA, with projected job creation approaching 22,000 positions.

For Saudi Arabia, the partnership aligns with outward investment strategies under Vision 2030, which promote capital deployment into African markets and non-energy sectors. Algeria has sought to raise its investment profile, notably through major economic events hosted in 2025 that attracted regional partners.

The agreement formalizes a framework linking domestic entrepreneurship support structures with a bilateral investment vehicle. By prioritizing technical assessment and project readiness, the model aims to build a pipeline of vetted ventures that meet investment criteria, potentially easing the transition from start-up formation to scale-up financing.

By Cynthia Ebot Takang