In a significant shake-up of his administration, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has dismissed two ministers from Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui’s government, including the finance minister.
A statement from the Algerian presidency confirmed that Laaziz Faid, who had held the position of finance minister since March 2023, and Fouad Hajji, the minister of state for industry and pharmaceutical production, were both relieved of their duties on Sunday.
The president appointed Abdelkrim Bou El Zerd to replace Faid as finance minister, signaling a new direction for Algeria’s economic policies. Bou El Zerd, a seasoned government official, steps into the role at a time of significant economic challenges for the country.
In a separate move, Wassim Kouidri was appointed to head the newly independent Ministry of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production. Kouidri’s appointment signals a strategic shift to give more focus to Algeria’s pharmaceutical sector, which will now operate separately from the broader Ministry of Industry. He replaces Hajji, who had been overseeing both sectors.
The presidency did not provide reasons for the dismissals, leaving the motivations behind the moves unclear. Hajji had been part of Larbaoui’s second government, which was formed following Tebboune’s re-election in September 2021. Despite the reshuffle, Tebboune had expressed his continued confidence in the government’s performance in November of the same year.
As of now, the presidency has not released additional information regarding the cabinet changes.