The Algerian Sahara - a world of treasures and secrets

Our general view of the Sahara is often barren and very hot because it is empty, but in reality, we find that it is full of majestic mountains, hills and plateaus, and many riches are buried beneath it, as we find in the Algerian desert. The trend has become towards making it a tourist destination because of its bounties and landmarks that attract visitors to it. Let's get to know the treasures and secrets of the Algerian Sahara.

Black Gold (Oil & Gas)

Algeria's 2023 oil and gas revenues in the first five months reached $21 billion, up 2% from the same period in 2022, according to the CEO of Algerian energy company Sonatrach. The existing oil wells, especially those in the Hassi Messaoud region, have enabled Algeria to produce about one million barrels of oil per day based on the quota division adopted by the OPEC+ group, without which they could have produced more.

Algeria's oil reserves are about 12.2 billion barrels, and most of these proven reserves in Algeria are located in the Hassi Messaoud region, where Algeria's largest oil field is located, and according to Sonatrach approximately 66% of Algerian territory remains largely unexplored. In addition, the Algerian desert is filled with more than 2.3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, and many international energy institutions such as France's Total Energies are dotted in the Sahara.

Phosphate

Phosphate is found in Algeria, where reserves are estimated at more than two billion tons, and are mainly concentrated in the east of the country. Algeria ranks third in the world in terms of proven reserves, and the most important reserves are located in Jebel Unk south of Tebessa, containing more than half of Algeria's reserves, although they have been little exploited for more than 40 years. In 2022, Algerian state hydrocarbon company Sonatrach signed a contract with two Chinese companies to develop a phosphate mine project and produce agricultural fertilizers, with an investment of about $ 7 billion, and the project targets the production of 5.4 million tons of fertilizers annually.

Gold

Algeria has 121 sites containing gold in the Great South, including 76 sites in the Tamanrasset region alone, according to Minister of Mines Mohamed Argueb, who revealed the establishment of two gold zones, the first in Tamanrasset and the second in the Djanet region of the wilaya of Illizi, and they will be entrusted with the task of buying and collecting gold ore produced from new institutions.

Algeria occupies the first place in the Maghreb and the third Arab in terms of gold reserves, which reached 173.6 tons worth $ 10.3 billion, and the Amsamsa gold mine is the most productive gold in Algeria, with gold deposits equivalent to 70 tons, and the volume of reserves in it is about 3.38 million tons.

Iron

We find iron in the desert of Algeria, and the latest discovery was the discovery of the Ghar Jbailat mine, which is the largest iron mine in the world, located in the far southwest of the country. It has an iron production capacity of 1.7 billion tons, and Algeria has 2% of the world's iron reserves, thanks to this mine.

Water (Algerian Djanet Oasis)

Thousands of foreign tourists visit Djanet, a region in southeastern Algeria that is home to charming sites guaranteed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Tourists discover a unique desert landscape that brings them "inner peace" and "complete comfort". Since the introduction of the visa on arrival regime in 2021, we have found more than four thousand foreigners in the Djanet region, 2,300 kilometers southeast of Algiers.

There is also Tassili Najer, another charming UNESCO World Heritage site. The park features a lunar landscape with rocky forests of eroded sandy clay, and geological formations in colors between orange and black, which provides a captivating scene that attracts lovers of photography at sunset in particular.

Moreover, the Tassili region, a vast plateau of more than 70,000 square kilometers, includes one of the largest rock art complexes, with about 15,000 drawings and sculptures dating back to 6,000 BC and continuing until the first centuries of our era, making it a great destination for tourists in Algeria.