Algeria joins the BRICS New Development Bank

President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff speaks during a press conference in Cape Town on Aug. 31, 2024 at the Ninth Annual Meeting of the NDB, a multilateral development bank established by BRICS. (Reuters)
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Updated 01 September 2024
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Algeria joins the BRICS New Development Bank

  • Membership was secured thanks to ‘the strength of the country’s macroeconomic indicators,’ said finance ministry
  • It will offer Algeria ‘new prospects to support and strengthen its economic growth in the medium and long term’

ALGIERS: Algeria has been approved for membership in the BRICS New Development Bank, the country’s finance ministry has announced.

The decision was taken on Saturday and announced by NDB chief Dilma Roussef at a meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

By joining “this important development institution, the financial arm of the BRICS group, Algeria is taking a major step in its process of integration into the global financial system,” the Algerian finance ministry said in a statement

The bank of the BRICS group of nations — whose name derives from the initials of founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — is aimed at offering an alternative to international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF.

Algeria’s membership was secured thanks to “the strength of the country’s macroeconomic indicators” which have recorded “remarkable performances in recent years” and allowed the North African country to be classified as an “upper-tier emerging economy,” the finance ministry said.

Membership in the BRICS bank will offer Algeria — Africa’s leading exporter of natural gas — “new prospects to support and strengthen its economic growth in the medium and long term,” it added.

Created in 2015, the NDB’s main mission is to mobilize resources for projects in emerging markets and developing countries.

It has welcomed several countries as new members, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Iran.


Saudi Arabia found 8m ounces of gold in 2025

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Saudi Arabia found 8m ounces of gold in 2025

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia discovered 8 million ounces of gold during 2025, according to Saudi Gold Refinery Co.’s Board of Directors Chairman.

Suliman Al-Othaim told Al-Eqtisadiah on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum held in Riyadh, that the company’s share of these discoveries reached 1.5 million ounces. 

He explained that the company is continuing to update its refineries to process 36 tonnes of gold and issue hallmarks bearing the name of the Saudi Gold Refinery Co. for locally produced gold.

The company owns all production lines and mining services, including aerial and ground imaging, trenching, and well drilling. It aims to achieve 50 percent of local production by 2030, leveraging government support and provided services, according to Al-Othaim.

The year 2025 witnessed an unprecedented historic boom in gold prices, with the metal recording annual gains exceeding 64 percent. 

This surge was driven by acute geopolitical tensions and a significant increase in demand from central banks and investment funds.

According to recorded data, the average price of a gold ounce in 2025 ranged between $3,400 and $3,500. 

This figure reflects the upward journey that started from levels of $2,710 at the beginning of the year, reaching its historic peak in December when gold hit its all-time highest levels near $4,500 per ounce.

Al-Othaim pointed out that the company benefits from foreign expertise and is working on developing its mines and refineries to be among the leading companies in the mining sector globally. 

He added that it will begin implementing a new strategy aimed at increasing production by expanding the scope of its work in the mining field and will seek new opportunities for investment in this sector.