The Algerian Sahara - a world of treasures and secrets
Many people picture the Sahara as empty and lifeless - yet the Algerian part of the desert holds plenty of raw materials and striking scenery. Wide stretches of land contain mountains, high flatlands and valuable minerals buried under the sand, all of which bring clear chances for both income and visitors.
Oil and gas form a main pillar of Algeria's income. During the first five months of 2023, sales brought in 21 billion dollars, a little above the figure for the same span the year before. The Hassi Messaoud zone lies at the heart of the nation's oil work and helps push daily output to about one million barrels within OPEC+ limits. Algeria keeps 12.2 billion barrels of oil in the ground and more than 2.3 trillion cubic metres of natural gas and large parts of both stocks remain untouched. Firms from abroad, among them TotalEnergies, maintain a heavy footprint in the Sahara because the energy stores are so large.
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The country sits on over two billion tons of phosphate rock. The main fields lie in the east, especially at Jebel Unk close to Tebessa. Little happened there for many years - yet big projects now move ahead - a 2022 deal with two Chinese companies plans to turn out 5.4 million tons of fertiliser each year from that rock.
Geologists have mapped 121 spots in the Algerian Sahara that carry gold and 76 of those spots sit near Tamanrasset. Algeria leads the Maghreb and places third among Arab states with 173.6 tons of the metal in reserve. The Amsamsa site alone holds 70 tons of gold and huge volumes of ore.
Iron ore is gathered chiefly at Ghar Jbailat in the south west, one of the biggest such fields on Earth. The deposit holds 1.7 billion tons of ore, a share that gives Algeria roughly two percent of all known iron reserves worldwide.
Travel to the Algerian Sahara grows each year, above all in Djanet besides Tassili n’Ajjer, both listed by UNESCO. Rock paintings, sheer cliffs and long human history draw thousands of travellers since the 2021 start of visas issued on arrival.
