After years of absence, the French Pavilion is making a strategic comeback at the 57th edition of the Algiers International Fair (FIA). Driven by a diplomatic thaw and the desire to rebuild a lasting commercial partnership, this showcase brings together twenty-six major operators inside the Palestine pavilion. From the institutional presence of Michel Bisac, president of the CCIAF, to the political visit of Segolene Royal, and down to the concrete accounts of industrial SMEs like the Normandy-based firm Deremaux, this edition marks a turning point. It signifies an ongoing normalization, balancing large banking groups with highly specialized industrial expertise.
For Michel Bisac, president of the Algerian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAF), this collective presence embodies above all the progressive normalization of calm economic relations between the two nations, as desired by Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Emmanuel Macron. In his statements to Le Jeune Independant, he details the ambitions of this rediscovered momentum, while business leaders on the ground illustrate the reality of this bilateral partnership.
With twenty years of field experience in Algeria, notably as the founder-president of the company Les Pages Maghreb created in 2006, Michel Bisac puts his deep knowledge of the local fabric at the service of the CCIAF, which he has led since 2018.
Propelled by this diplomatic warming, the CCIAF orchestrated this return in record time. Michel Bisac shares that the decision was finalized just one month before the event opened, as soon as signs of bilateral improvement became clear. Within a four-week window, the Chamber of Commerce mobilized twenty-six entities. The delegation brings together historic leaders of the Algerian market such as Societe Generale Algeria, BNP Paribas El Djazair, Alstom, Danone, Sanofi Algeria, TotalEnergies Algeria, Renault Motrio, CMA CGM, and SIEPAL, complemented by seven enterprises coming straight from France to seize this revival opportunity.
This high responsiveness makes the French Pavilion the largest foreign representation at this 2026 edition. Despite recent political turbulence, the CCIAF strove to shield economic exchanges. The CCIAF president points out that the Chamber’s priority remained purely business-oriented, preserving close ties with local actors, notably through continuous collaboration with Kamel Moula, president of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA). The current objective is to restore a lasting climate of trust in order to recover, in the coming years, true conditions favorable to stable, peaceful, and enduring economic relations.
==Segolene Royal at the FIA: A Strong Political Signal
This momentum of economic revival was reinforced by the surprise and highly symbolic visit of Segolene Royal, recently appointed to the presidency of the France-Algeria Association (AFA). Her active presence, marked by numerous exchanges with exhibitors, a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and extensive walks through the aisles of the French Pavilion, was perceived by operators as a major political signal. Michel Bisac emphasizes that the particularly warm welcome from visitors and the constructive positions of Segolene Royal confirm public and professional support for this rapprochement process.
While large banking and pharmaceutical groups hold a prominent place in this French space managed by the CCIAF, the pavilion is also a showcase for family-owned SMEs with highly specialized expertise. This is the case for the Normandy enterprise Deremaux, established in the Algerian market for nearly twenty years. Stephane Deremaux, co-director of this company, embodies this industrial perseverance far removed from political fluctuations. Operating in Algeria since 2007, the company relies on an original cooperation model based on a direct commercial partnership with local entities, excluding the use of a simple subsidiary or a classic reseller.
The success of this SME rests on an extremely specific niche market: the packaging of drinkable glass ampoules. Today, Deremaux equips most Algerian companies operating in the pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, and cosmetics sectors that use the fine-tip ampoule format. “The Normandy firm remains the sole global manufacturer of machines capable of filling this precise type of container, which explains its longevity and its historic position in the Algerian market,” he indicated to Le Jeune Independant.
Questioned about the relevance of his participation in the FIA, the executive delivers a clear analysis. Algeria is a country undergoing full economic development where opportunities have expanded into various fields never reached before. “Algeria, whose economic and political weight in the Maghreb is undeniable, makes it an indispensable partner for France,” he stressed.
Beyond pure prospecting, being present in Algiers serves an objective of institutional visibility and the promotion of French industrial expertise, while counting on Algerian proficiency and support.