The Gara Djebilet iron ore deposit in the Tindouf basin holds 3.5 billion exploitable tonnes — one of the world’s largest undeveloped iron ore deposits — with $7–10 billion of committed Algerian state investment. The EU Critical Raw Materials Act’s 2030 binding targets create an immediate supply partnership window.
The EU Critical Raw Materials Act came into force in May 2024, establishing legally binding targets that require EU member states to source at least 10% of annual strategic raw material consumption domestically by 2030 and ensure no more than 65% comes from any single third country. Thirty-four minerals are designated as strategic — and Algeria holds significant deposits of several of them, including iron ore, phosphate, zinc, and mineral sands.
The Gara Djebilet iron ore deposit in Algeria’s southwest Tindouf basin represents one of the world’s largest undeveloped iron ore reserves. The Algerian state has committed $7–10 billion to developing the site, with rail infrastructure connecting the mine to Béchar and eventually to the coast. For European steelmakers and industrial operators seeking supply diversification away from China and Russia — the CRMA’s explicit strategic objective — Gara Djebilet is among the most significant near-term supply options in the world.
The EU has allocated specific funding streams for critical minerals supply partnerships with non-EU countries through the Global Gateway programme. Algeria, with its existing EU Association Agreement and Mediterranean proximity, is explicitly positioned to access these frameworks. European industrial operators who establish Algerian supply relationships before the 2030 deadline are better positioned to meet CRMA compliance targets than those who wait. The first-mover window is 2025 and 2026.
Algeria’s new mining legislation, passed in 2022 and amended in 2024, allows foreign investors to hold up to 80% ownership stakes in mining projects — a significant departure from the previous 51/49 rule that historically constrained foreign investment across all Algerian economic sectors. For critical minerals specifically, the combination of legislative reform, EU demand mandate, and reserve scale creates a specific commercial argument that was not available in Algeria before 2024.
Beyond Gara Djebilet, Algeria is developing a $7 billion phosphate megaproject in Tebessa in partnership with Chinese investors, a zinc mine at Oued Amizour in Béjaïa targeting 170,000 tonnes per year from 2026, and is conducting active exploration across its southern territory for lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements — all categories designated strategic under the CRMA.
Gara Djebilet reserves
State investment committed
Phosphate project — Tebessa
Zinc — Oued Amizour
Foreign ownership
EU CRMA in force
Association Agreement
EU CRMA binding targets — 2030. Capital allocation decisions happening now for European industrial operators.
Algeria.com — operational since the late 1990s. Five partnership pathways available.