Algeria and China plan AI data centre in Sidi Abdellah

Algeria and China are planning a data centre for artificial intelligence (AI) at the science and technology hub of Sidi Abdellah.

Kamel Baddari, minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, held a working meeting with a Chinese delegation on Monday.

The two sides discussed a project to build the centre inside the National Higher School of Artificial Intelligence. The project would strengthen national capacity in high-performance computing (HPC), a field that uses very powerful computers to process large amounts of data.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Baddari said the talks covered the technical and engineering aspects of the project.

The talks covered the basic infrastructure and the technology equipment needed. The timetable and environmental standards were discussed as well.

The meeting sought to meet all the conditions needed to build the centre to international standards.

The project would modernise the country's digital infrastructure. It would strengthen Algeria's position as a regional AI hub through technology transfer and local skills.

The talks are part of the national AI strategy, which the government has begun to implement. From 11 November, the government will start work on the data and basic infrastructure part of the plan.

The action plan was presented at the sixth multi-sector meeting on 3 November. It lists 17 infrastructure operations and 14 data operations for 2026.

The government is using computing equipment already available, including graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used for heavy computing. It is studying the creation of a joint financing fund with the business sector.

One application already built is a chatbot on Algerian tax law. It uses four national large language models, which are AI systems that understand and produce text.

The ministry has set a target of training 50,000 AI specialists by 2030. A first network of grandes écoles (higher schools) in Algiers, Béjaïa and Sidi Bel Abbès is already hosting its first doctoral classes.

Continuing training covers 85 programmes targeting sectors such as health, energy, agriculture and transport.

The responsible departments are finalising a draft decree to create a National Centre for Research in Artificial Intelligence and Data. The centre would oversee scientific work and link university research, companies and the Algerian scientific diaspora abroad.