Maghreb in January 2026: the most important developments in economy
In January 2026, the most reported economic item in the Maghreb was China's launch of a remote-sensing satellite for Algeria, described in one account as the AlSat-3A and as another step in space cooperation between the two countries.
In Libya, several economic measures followed one another. Its central bank received $287 million in oil revenue, and on 18 January Libya devalued its currency by 14.7%. The next day it announced urgent import regulations as the currency crisis continued. Libya also signed a $2.7 billion deal to expand the Misrata free zone, and the Greek grid operator IPTO signed an agreement to upgrade its electricity network. A Turkish minister said 2026 was set to be an "energy year" in Turkish-Libyan cooperation, and an official called Türkiye a key trading partner of Libya.
Algeria opened an international tender to buy 50,000 tons of wheat, published an agricultural roadmap for 2026 that aims at self-sufficiency, and launched price cuts, though some merchants drew criticism. A Jumjum Pharma guarantee of $8.5 million backed an Algerian joint venture. In Morocco, wheat imports from the United States increased, fuel consumption rose while distributor profits held steady, and the country was reported as the leading silver producer among Arab and African nations. Egypt announced new oil discoveries in its Western and Eastern Deserts and in the Nile Delta.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.