Algeria, China Tie-Up Revives North Africa’s Largest Iron Ore Deposit | Firstpost Africa

Algeria has turned to China to revive Gara Djebilet, North Africa’s largest iron ore deposit, in a major move to diversify its economy and strengthen the mining sector. Discovered in 1952, the vast deposit remained largely untapped for decades due to its remote desert location and high processing costs. The project gained momentum with the construction of a new railway linking the mine to key industrial and export hubs, improving logistics and feasibility. The reopening is central to Algeria’s strategy to reduce reliance on oil and gas, which account for more than three-quarters of export earnings and nearly half of state revenue.