Stories

Workshop on web marketing increases reach of Algerian businesses

18 January 2012
ITC News

ITC's Enhancing Arab Capacities for Trade (EnACT) Programme, in partnership with the Ghardaia Chamber of Commerce, held a two day workshop for young entrepreneurs on web marketing for trade in the city of Ghardaia, 600 km South of Algiers.

The workshop, which took place on the 14 and 15 January, was delivered by two Algerian trainers, who were trained by ITC’s web marketing & e-commerce practice, at ALGEX, the Algerian Export Development Agency.

“Businesses based outside capital cities appreciate the possibilities the web brings to them in terms of fast and cost effective outreach. The web enables them to be present in the Global neighborhood” said Torek Farhadi, ITC’s EnACT programme regional coordinator.

“Ghardaia is a business hub for the Southern regions of Algeria which spans over a wide area. The city is also the gateway for exports to Sub-Saharan Africa” says Salah Addiouamer, Director of the M’zab Chamber of Commerce.

Participants in the web-marketing workshop included businesses working in optical lenses, diversified plastics and metals manufacturers, dates exporters; companies specialized in weaving and textiles as well as a company producing potatoes and peanuts. A number of young University students were in attendance as well.

Ghardaia is known for the products mentioned above as well as for camel milk, which is yet to be exported, but holds a major potential for the region's future exports because of the high nutritional content and demand for the product from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

EnACT is a Technical Assistance programme delivered by ITC and financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),  operating in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.