The Chinese car company Jetour will begin production of its vehicles in Algeria in the coming days, specifically at the car factory located in Batna Province, eastern Algeria (formerly the Kia plant), in partnership with the Fondal company.
According to an official statement published on the official website of Batna Province, eastern Algeria, the governor of the province, Dr. Mohamed Ben Malek El-Sayed Djinane Wadih, received the acting CEO of Fondal, along with Ms. Anna, a representative of the Jetour car company.
According to the statement, the Chinese car manufacturer will begin assembling cars in the province in the coming days under the SKD system, ensuring the employment of all existing workers and the creation of new jobs.
The company has also committed to transitioning to the CKD system later, as the factory has all the necessary equipment, in addition to manufacturing spare parts locally. The foreign partner expressed satisfaction with the good condition of the factory after a field inspection, which will allow the manufacturing process to begin in the near future.
The statement did not specify when production would actually begin, but it will be very soon. The new Jetour factory was originally an assembly plant for the Korean Hyundai brand. Due to corruption and legal problems faced by the previous owners, the factory was seized by the government by a court order and revitalized by granting it to the state-owned FONDAL.
The start of Jetour production will be a welcome addition to alleviate the significant pressure on the Algerian automotive market, especially after the stagnation in this area following the suspension of temporary car import licenses, which barely allowed the import of a few thousand new vehicles.
