Who do you call if you want to speak to Algeria’s oil and gas sector? Is it the Sonatrach CEO, of whom there have been at least nine over the past ten years? Or is it the energy minister of which there have been six since 2010.

Whoever it is, it certainly isn’t Mohamed Arkab anymore. After 14 months as energy minister Mr Arkab was demoted to head the ministry of mines in President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s 23 June cabinet reshuffle. His replacement is oil industry veteran Abdelmadjid Attar who spent three decades at Sonatrach, heading the state-oil giant between 1997 and 1999 (MEES, 21 July 1997). (CONTINUED - 1236 WORDS)