How to organize a trade fair in Algeria: the permit, the commercial register and the rules

To organize a trade fair in Algeria, the reference text asks for three things: a commercial register entry covering this activity, prior authorization from the president of the municipal assembly (the APC), and a set of specifications signed with the municipality on safety and hygiene. These come from Executive Decree 07-217 of 10 July 2007, published in Official Journal no. 46. The text speaks of “periodic commercial events” and never mentions the business-to-business trade show, so your first step, before selling a single stand, is to get written confirmation of what applies to your event.

We read the decree on the Algerian Ministry of Commerce website on 3 November 2026. This guide summarizes it to help you prepare; it is not legal advice. Check with the wilaya’s trade directorate that it has not been amended since, and work with a local partner or counsel if you are coming from abroad.

What the decree covers, and where a B2B trade show stands

The decree applies to events built around selling new food and industrial products: fairs, “economic fortnights” and clearance sales. It also covers fairs for used goods, and any of these may include services.

So your case turns on one question. Will exhibitors sell to the public on site, or only meet professionals with no sales on the floor? The text is written around selling and does not describe a show reserved for companies. Write to the trade directorate of the wilaya, describe your show in a few lines and ask for a written answer on the procedure. Your venue and your partners will want to see that answer too.

Who may organize and who may exhibit

• The organizer (Article 3): any individual or company holding a commercial register entry for this activity. If you are a foreign organizer, settle early which registered Algerian entity will carry the event.
• The participants (Article 4): traders, craftspeople on the crafts register, and livestock and agricultural producers holding a farmer’s card, alone or through a group, cooperative, association or trade body.
• The exception (Article 17): the decree does not apply to public companies whose corporate purpose is organizing these events and which have their own dedicated spaces.

The Ministry of Commerce describes SAFEX as organizing fairs, specialized shows and exhibitions and running the Palais des Expositions in Algiers. A private organizer renting a hall does not have that status, so ask the venue in writing what it requires of you on top.

The municipal permit: the request and the deadlines

Every commercial event needs prior authorization from the president of the APC where it takes place (Article 11). Under Article 12, the request states:

• the date, place and length of the event;
• its nature;
• its opening and closing hours;
• and it comes with a certified copy of the commercial register extract.

The APC president checks the decree’s conditions before granting the permit, and sends a copy to the wilaya’s trade directorate (Article 13). The answer is due within fifteen days, and silence counts as acceptance. A refusal can be appealed to the wali, the governor of the wilaya (Article 14).

Do not plan around that deadline alone. Keep proof of the date you filed, and file well before your promotion starts: moving a date after signing exhibitor contracts costs far more than opening sales a few weeks later.

The specifications and the venue

The organizer signs specifications with the municipality covering the safety and hygiene of the site and its surroundings (Article 10). The decree also sets practical requirements for the space:

• covered or open, specially fitted out, safe and hygienic (Article 5), with the fit-out falling to the owner, or to the organizer as tenant;
• parking, access roads, toilets, water, electricity and partitions between spaces (Article 6);
• access and circulation routes laid out and marked (Article 6);
• a separate space for each participant (Article 7);
• products arranged by type, with food kept apart (Article 8).

When you rent, get it in writing who is responsible for each of these, and put them in your trade show budget from day one. Parking, power and partitions are not problems to solve on build-up morning.

Two limits that shape your calendar

An event cannot last more than fifteen days, and that period cannot be renewed (Article 15). Most trade shows run for a few days, so this rarely matters.

The second limit matters more: only two commercial events may be authorized per year in each municipality (Article 16). If your show falls under this text, ask the municipality what is already scheduled that year before you announce a date. Check the trade shows in Algeria in 2027 as well, to avoid landing on a show in your own sector.

Not the same thing: fairs abroad

Algerian companies’ participation in fairs abroad follows an official programme set each year by the ministry and carried out by SAFEX, with its own regulations. That is a separate track, and its rules say nothing about running your show in Algeria.

Where these steps fit in your timeline

1. Before the first stand is sold: the written question to the trade directorate, the register check and the venue’s agreement.
2. Before the date is announced: the permit request and the specifications with the municipality.
3. When exhibitor files open: the documents showing each participant’s status, listed in the exhibitor manual.
4. If participants travel from abroad: visa invitation letters and a hosted buyer plan, prepared early.
5. Before build-up: a walk with the venue through circulation routes, partitions and facilities.

These steps sit alongside sales and registration in your trade show planning timeline.

In short

• Three foundations: a commercial register entry for the activity, the APC president’s permit, and specifications signed with the municipality.
• The text does not name the B2B trade show, so ask the wilaya’s trade directorate for a written answer.
• An answer within 15 days, silence as acceptance, appeal to the wali.
• 15 days at most and two events a year per municipality: check before you announce.

Moultaka does not handle these procedures for you, but it runs what comes next. The Exhibitors module keeps each exhibitor’s contract, documents and team in one record, and checks stand builders’ insurance, build-up authorization and time slots. The Access module tracks each gate’s capacity and on-site attendance. To see it on your own show, ask for a demo.