Algeria Approves Creation of 11 New Provinces (Wilayas)

In a landmark administrative reform, Algeria's Council of Ministers, under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, approved the creation of 11 new wilayas (provinces) on November 16, 2025, elevating the nation's total from 58 to 69. This bold move targets the vast High Plateaus (Hautes Plaines) and southern regions, transforming existing administrative districts into fully empowered provinces to foster decentralization and equitable development across the country's expansive 2.38 million square kilometers. The newly established wilayas—Aflou, Barika, Ksar Chellala, Messaad, Aïn Oussera, Boussaâda, El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh, El Kantara, Bir El Ater, Ksar El Boukhari, and El Aricha—were carved from parent provinces including Laghouat, Batna, Tiaret, Djelfa, M'sila, El Bayadh, Biskra, Médéa, and Tlemcen. Tebboune directed swift parliamentary action to enact the changes, marking the second major expansion since 2019, when 10 southern desert wilayas were added to bring governance closer to remote populations. Proponents hail the decision as a strategic push toward "developmental justice," reducing centralization's stranglehold and enhancing local infrastructure, economic planning, and service delivery in underserved areas plagued by water scarcity, desertification, and youth unemployment. By granting these wilayas autonomous budgets and policy-making powers via elected Assemblées Populaires Wilayales (APWs), the reform aims to stimulate regional growth, potentially paving the way for up to 100 provinces to match Algeria's geographic scale. Yet, critics, including political analyst Oualid Kebir, decry it as a political sleight-of-hand amid economic woes and diplomatic tensions, such as the ongoing rift with Morocco, arguing it distracts from core crises without robust funding or clear metrics for success. As implementation unfolds, this restructuring could redefine Algeria's federal fabric, balancing ambition with the challenges of a diverse, resource-rich nation striving for inclusive progress.