📖 About Blida

Blida is Algeria's fifth-largest city, located at the foot of the Atlas Mountains overlooking the fertile Mitidja Plain. Known as the "City of Roses" for its abundant gardens and orange groves, Blida is positioned as a strategic center for Algeria's industrial and digital development. As part of the project to create an Algerian National Center for Digital Services, plans are underway for installing a second national data center in Blida.

Algeria's economy expanded by 4.1% in the first half of 2025, with GDP growth expected to reach 3.8% for the full year. From Novo Nordisk's industrial plant in Boufarik, Blida Province, the Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production, Ali Aoun, launched the first export operation of insulin pens to Saudi Arabia—a milestone for Algeria's pharmaceutical sector. The country has tripled non-hydrocarbon exports since 2017 to $5.1 billion in 2023.

A Russian delegation visiting Blida commended investment and partnership opportunities, noting the province's industrial and agricultural resources. The African Development Bank approved the 2025–2030 Country Strategy for Algeria, supporting economic diversification and regional integration. Major events in 2025 included the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers, which produced $48.3 billion in signed contracts.

🏛️ Top Attractions

💼 Economy & Culture

Blida's economy spans pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and increasingly, digital services. The planned national data center positions Blida in Algeria's digital transformation. The Novo Nordisk insulin export to Saudi Arabia demonstrates pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity. The Mitidja Plain's agriculture—citrus, wine grapes, vegetables—supplies national markets. Russian and other international partnerships signal growing foreign investment interest.

Blida's culture blends Arab-Berber traditions with French colonial influence. The city's Ottoman-era mosques and French-style boulevards reflect this layered heritage. Known for its hospitality and traditional cuisine, Blida maintains strong ties to Islamic religious observance. The Chréa National Park offers unique Atlas Mountain ecology just minutes from the city. Rose cultivation—giving Blida its nickname—continues as both commercial enterprise and cultural identity.

📜 History

Blida was founded in the 16th century by Andalusian Muslims fleeing Spanish reconquest. Sheikh Sidi Ahmed built the Al-Kawthar Mosque in 1533, establishing the city's religious center. The fertile Mitidja Plain attracted agricultural settlement. French colonization after 1830 developed infrastructure and European-style neighborhoods. Blida was an important center during Algeria's independence war (1954-1962).

Post-independence Algeria developed Blida as an industrial and agricultural hub. The 1990s civil conflict affected the region before stability returned. Today's development agenda—the national data center, pharmaceutical exports, AfDB partnership—positions Blida in Algeria's economic diversification strategy. The city balances its "City of Roses" identity with modern industrial ambitions, garden heritage with digital future.