$1 billion by 2025.. Algeria doubles the army budget by the highest percentage in the country's history

Algeria has allocated $25 billion as a share of the general budget for the army in 2025, which is the largest share for the military institution in the country’s history, and which has tripled in the last three years.

As usual, the army maintained the lion's share of the 2025 budget, a copy of which was viewed by "Arabi Post", as it reached $25 billion, an increase of $3 billion over the army's budget in 2024, and $18 billion for the 2023 budget.

The Algerian army's share of the budget has nearly tripled, jumping from $9 billion in 2021 to $25 billion next year, according to the draft general budget law for 2025.

The Algerian army's budget is the largest in the Maghreb region and the African continent, and the Algerian army ranks second in the continent in terms of strength, according to the American specialized website "Global Fire Power."

This unprecedented increase in military spending comes in the context of severe tensions between Algeria and Morocco, after Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Rabat in August 2021 due to deep differences between the two neighbors over the disputed Western Sahara region and the security rapprochement between the kingdom and Israel.

Budget sections

According to the draft general budget for the year 2025, which was reviewed by "Arabi Post", and which began to be presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, the army budget for the year 2025 was divided into three sections:

• $1.5 billion for salaries and various expenses of the military and gendarmerie.
• $6.5 billion for support and logistics.
• $13.4 billion for public administration.

The Algerian army budget has increased by $3 billion compared to the previous year, exceeding $22 billion in 2024, and the Ministry of Defense budget remains in first place in the state’s general budget items, which will reach $112.8 billion (unprecedented), equivalent to nearly 23% of the general budget.

Where is the army budget spent?

Over the past few years, the Algerian army has been working to modernize the military institution and diversify its sources of armament in accordance with the field developments that wars have come to know.

Military expert Akram Kharif links the development of the Algerian army to the war in Ukraine, especially since the majority of its armament is from Russia. He believes that Algeria is working to modernize strategies and related equipment, such as everything related to drones and their confrontation, in addition to developing air defense systems.

The same military expert believes that the budget allocated to the Algerian army is justified in light of the rearmament strategy that the Algerian army has been adopting for the past 5 years, unlike previous years.

Kharif added in an interview with "Arabi Post" that Algeria has begun the process of modernizing its air fleet of fighters, transport aircraft, and air defense systems, and this requires large investments, according to him.

The spokesman pointed out that the Algerian army has not announced its holdings for about five years, while it reveals some of the advanced weapons during military parades and war maneuvers.

Unlimited support

In all his media appearances in which he addresses the army and the security situation in the region, Algerian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Abdelmadjid Tebboune stresses the necessity for his country to have a strong and modern army to defend Algeria's vast borders, especially in light of the fact that most of them are on fire.

Tebboune also believes that the army's benefit from large financial allocations is justified in light of the difficult security situation in North Africa, the Middle East and the African Sahel.

The Chief of Staff of the Algerian Army, Lieutenant General Said Chengriha, is following the same approach, as he stresses in his military inspections the need to develop the army and equip it properly to confront the dangers facing the country.

(Agencies)