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Marrakech – Algeria’s Council of Ministers approved the creation of 11 new wilayas (provinces) on Sunday, bringing the country’s total administrative divisions to 69. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune validated the promotion of administrative districts in the High Plateaus and southern regions to full wilaya (provincial) status.
The new wilayas (provinces) include Aflou, Barika, Ksar Chellala, Messaad, Ain Oussera, Boussaada, El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh, El Kantara, Bir El Ater, Ksar El Boukhari, and El Aricha.
These areas previously operated as administrative districts under existing wilayas (provinces), including Laghouat, Batna, Tiaret, Djelfa, M’sila, El Bayadh, Biskra, Bouira, Medea, and Tlemcen.
Tebboune ordered immediate administrative procedures through both parliamentary chambers to accelerate implementation. The decision represents the second wave of wilaya (provincial) creation since 2022, when ten wilayas (provinces) were established, increasing Algeria’s administrative divisions from 48 to 58.
The move aims to bring government services closer to citizens and reduce lengthy travel to wilaya (provincial) capitals for basic administrative procedures. Local populations had long demanded this administrative proximity in a country with continental dimensions.
However, the decision sparked sharp criticism from political observers. Many analysts questioned the strategic rationale behind creating new wilayas (provinces) without clear economic objectives.
Algerian Political analyst Oualid Kebir described the move as a distraction tactic designed to divert attention from the regime’s mounting crises and recent setbacks.
Critics pointed to specific cases that highlight apparent inconsistencies in the selection process. El Kantara, the birthplace of army chief Said Changriha, received wilaya (provincial) status despite having only 14,000 residents.
Meanwhile, Mecheria, Tebboune’s birthplace with over 120,000 inhabitants, remains a subdivision of Naama wilaya (province).
El Kantara, located 54 kilometers north of Biskra and known as the “gateway to the Sahara,” lacks significant economic infrastructure and has been classified as an underdeveloped area.
The sudden elevation puzzled observers, who noted the absence of strategic planning in the selection criteria – a move that, according to several analysts, also sends an implicit message about who truly holds decisive power within the El Mouradia system, namely the entrenched military establishment.
Some commentators argued that creating 69 wilayas (provinces) transforms the traditional meaning of wilaya (provincial) administration in Algeria.
They contended that the term “wilaya” in the Algerian system now resembles municipal-level governance rather than the state-level wilayas (provinces) found in countries like the United States.
