ALGIERS, Algeria –Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency signed a training grant with Sonelgaz, Algeria’s state-owned electricity and gas company to provide multi-year executive management training for Sonelgaz’s executives, ensuring the continued growth of Algeria’s energy sector.

The $269,000 grant supports a multi-year management, leadership and business training program for executives and senior leadership staff.  The trainings will be delivered by General Electric (GE) at its global university in Crotonville, New York and also within the GE Technical and Leadership Academy (GETLA), GE’s training center in Algeria.

“This project demonstrates USTDA’s mission of supporting infrastructure projects that promote sustainable local economic development, while creating new business opportunities for U.S. companies” said USTDA Director (Acting), Thomas R. Hardy. “We are proud to collaborate with Sonelgaz and GE on this important project, which will bring significant economic benefits to both countries and strengthen our historically strong diplomatic ties.”

Mohamed Arkab, Chairman and CEO of Sonelgaz, said, “This training ensures the continuity of our partnership, especially in terms of training, beyond economic and technical cooperation. We are in a win-win collaboration, supported by exchanges of experience, skills and expertise.”

The CEO of GE North-West Africa, Touffik Fredj, added, “For more than 40 years, our training programs have helped create a pool of talented professionals in Algeria. Today, with the support of USTDA, we wish to reiterate our commitment to Sonelgaz and to participate in a transfer of knowledge that will have a lasting impact on the industry.”

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