HIBAPRESS
The Algerian regime has dismissed the General Manager of Sonatrach, Rachid Hachichi, just two years after his appointment, in a new step that reflects the state of turmoil experienced by the largest government company in the country.
The announcement came via official television, as usual, without any explanation of the reasons, in a scene that confirms the lack of transparency within the hydrocarbon sector, which is completely subject to the authority of the military regime. Hachichi, who took office in October 2023, was replaced by Noureddine Daoudi, one of the old faces in the bureaucratic energy apparatus, who had previously held several senior positions within the same sector, as part of a policy of rotating familiar names instead of renewing competencies. The appointment of Daoudi came at an official ceremony supervised by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, the minister who has been managing this vital sector for years according to the logic of political loyalty rather than professional competence. It is worth noting that Hachichi previously led the National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources (oil) between April 2020 and August 2023, the body in charge of attracting foreign investors and managing offers and granting exploration licenses, at a time when the sector is suffering from a clear reluctance from international companies due to the unstable political and economic climate in Algeria. It is noteworthy that this dismissal comes to make Daoudi the fifth General Manager of Sonatrach since 2019, a number that clearly reflects the administrative chaos and instability within the company, which is the backbone of the Algerian economy.
