On 8 June 2026, Algeria inaugurated at the Chahid Abdelhafid-Ihaddaden science and technology hub in Sidi Abdellah, near Algiers, its first national centre devoted to virtual learning technologies and artificial intelligence, at a ceremony chaired by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari.The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari, presided over the opening of this first centre dedicated to virtual learning technologies and artificial intelligence at the Chahid Abdelhafid-Ihaddaden hub in Sidi Abdellah, Algiers.

This new scientific facility in Algiers is presented by the authorities as a tool to support the modernisation of universities by developing digital teaching tools and strengthening research capacities around artificial intelligence.  The initiative is part of the continued public investment in the knowledge economy, with the stated goal of preparing young people for jobs linked to emerging technologies.

A national laboratory for digital pedagogy

According to Minister Kamel Baddari, this dedicated centre is intended to serve as an experimentation platform for lecturers, researchers and students, in order to accelerate the integration of digital technologies into teaching practices in higher education. The authorities highlight the facility’s capacity to support the development of virtual learning tools and training content that leverage artificial intelligence.

“L’ouverture de ce centre se veut un premier jalon pour orienter le système d’enseignement vers l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle afin d’améliorer la qualité de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche scientifique.” — Kamel Baddari, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Algerie Eco

The building is equipped with infrastructures and digital platforms dedicated to virtual learning, as well as human resources described by the minister as capable of organising and regulating the use of artificial intelligence within Algeria’s universities.

A project anchored in the higher education AI strategy

The initiative was led by Professor Elias Zerhouni, who stresses that the creation of the centre was made possible by the support of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the backing of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The new centre is presented as part of a broader strategy to adapt Algeria’s higher education system to global technological change.

Professor Zerhouni calls for developing from this structure an integrated, multilingual virtual system aligned with Algeria’s needs across scientific fields, in order to disseminate teaching and research content nationwide.

“Ce centre a pu voir le jour grâce au soutien du président de la République et aux encouragements du ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique.” — Elias Zerhouni, project initiator, Algerie Eco

The inauguration brought together, alongside the minister, the President’s adviser in charge of education, higher education, vocational training and culture, as well as heads of public health and cancer-control agencies, and ministry researchers and officials, reflecting the cross-sector interest in this project.

A link in a nascent AI ecosystem

The opening of the centre comes as the authorities roll out multiple initiatives related to artificial intelligence, following the recent launch of a start-up cluster specialising in AI and cybersecurity under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced the launch of a first start-up cluster dedicated to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, presented as a lever to connect academic research with industrial applications. This alignment between a university-based virtual learning and AI center and a start-up-oriented cluster reflects an intention to bridge training, research, and the economic valorization of AI technologies.

Earlier, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research had set out a strategic vision that identifies applied mathematics and artificial intelligence as pillars of sustainable national development. This is reflected in the inauguration of a national research centre in applied mathematics tasked with supplying public policies with data and analysis. This vision is reflected in the national artificial intelligence strategy discussed in a government meeting, which emphasises the development of AI models tailored to the country’s specificities and their use in key sectors such as education, public administration, health, agriculture and energy.

Focus points for economic actors

For banks, telecom operators and investors exposed to the Algerian market, this centre signals a structural shift: the digital move upmarket of the public university system, an indirect but critical lever for the availability of local skills in AI, data and simulation.

The higher education authorities have already introduced new degree programmes related to artificial intelligence, increased the use of digital tools for student guidance and developed computing infrastructures dedicated to AI at the École nationale supérieure d’intelligence artificielle (National Higher School of Artificial Intelligence). These developments, combined with the creation of the Sidi Abdellah national virtual learning and AI centre, are helping to build a base of technical skills and computing capacity that is expected to feed, over the medium term, into the digital ecosystem and companies deploying artificial intelligence solutions.

In the short term, the next milestones to watch will be the effective ramp-up of the centre — the number of pedagogical projects it hosts, partnerships with universities and its linkage with the AI–cybersecurity cluster — as well as the integration of its work into the operational implementation of the national artificial intelligence strategy.