Hydrocarbons: Power International Holding Meets with Arkab

The discussions focused on prospects for cooperation and partnership across the entire hydrocarbon value chain, including “field development, exploration, research and production in Algeria, and the strengthening of relations between Sonatrach and the Qatari group”, the same source explained.

The meeting also addressed trade issues, in particular “the marketing of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and the transport of hydrocarbons”, according to the ministry’s statement – two sectors with strong growth potential for both economies.

According to the press release in question, Minister Arkab was keen to highlight “the robustness of Algeria’s legislative framework. He outlined the sector’s development programmes and the benefits that the Hydrocarbons Law offers to foreign investors”.

Above all, he officially invited Power International Holding to take part in the forthcoming tender that Algeria is preparing to launch”, thereby paving the way for the Qatari giant to expand its presence in Algeria.

For his part, “Moutaz Al-Khayyat reiterated the group’s ambition to consolidate its investments in Algeria,” the statement added, praising the promising investment climate and the significant potential of the national hydrocarbons sector.

Founded in 2011 in Doha by the Al-Khayyat brothers, Power International Holding (PIH) is now one of the most influential conglomerates in the Arab world.

With dozens of subsidiaries, the group organises its operations into six divisions: construction, energy, agri-food, property, hospitality and telecommunications. In 2025, Forbes Middle East ranked it 10th among the largest Arab family-owned businesses.

The Qatari holding company, which is looking to expand its investments in the energy sector, already has a presence in Algeria through an ambitious agricultural project: the Baladna mega-farm.

Led by the Qatari company itself, this project is one of the largest integrated agro-industrial projects on the continent. It is dedicated to producing milk and milk powder and will cover 117,000 hectares in the province of Adrar, southern Algeria.

With an estimated cost of $3.5 billion, the project includes farms for fodder production, cattle rearing, and milk and meat production, as well as a milk powder processing plant designed to meet 50% of local demand. It is being carried out in partnership between Baladna, a subsidiary of PIH, and the Algerian National Investment Fund.

In terms of progress, 14 contracts worth over $500 million have been signed for the first phase, involving major companies specialising in agricultural technology, irrigation, water drilling, steel structures and project management, including the German firm GEA Technologies, a world leader in dairy production lines.

The expected economic and social benefits are considerable. The project aims to produce 1.7 billion litres of milk per year by rearing 270,000 dairy cows, whilst creating 5,000 direct jobs and 10,000 temporary employment opportunities.

Concerning food sovereignty, Algeria could significantly reduce its import bill. This is a crucial issue for a country whose imports of milk powder still amounted to $343 million in 2025.