The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) Director General H.E Prof Ibrahim Adam El Dukheri inaugurated the Maghreb Regional Office in Algeria on the 27th of July 2019, in the presence of the Algerian Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries H.E Dr Shareef Al Ammari.

The inauguration ceremony started with a visit to the exhibition organized by AOAD on the occasion of inaugurating the office. The guests were introduced to AOADs’ activities through AOADs’ publications and the visual presentation.

H.E Prof El Dukeri said that the Maghreb Regional Office in Algeria will provide AOAD with a new way of cooperation between AOAD and all the countries of the Maghreb region, stressing that AOAD will make this office a base to work in the region of Africa. His Excellency added that the General Administration will work to provide the appropriate conditions to result in effective performance. H.E Prof El Dukeri also praised the efforts of H.E Dr Shareef in the direct follow-up process of rehabilitation and restoration of the office.

For his part, H.E Dr Shareef praised the attention given by H.E Prof El Dukeri to raise the level of cooperation between the AOAD and the countries of the Maghreb region, which is reflected in this important event, and his support to the Office enabling it to do its part optimally.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Algeria and the head of FAO Committee for Desert Locust Control in North and West Africa, based in Algeria.

Earlier in the same day, a meeting was held between H.E Prof El Dukheri and H.E Dr Shareef prior to symposium organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, to review the past, present and promising future cooperation between AOAD and Algeria in light of the activation of the Maghreb Regional Office, based in Algeria. The areas of cooperation were around, the development of Grains, transboundary animal diseases, fisheries and environmental protection, especially combating desertification and land degradation.

 During the national symposium under the theme "Development of the Grain Division in Algeria: Current Situation and Prospects for its Development", H.E Prof El Dukheri focused on the status of cereals in the Arab food security system and the urgent need to pay more attention to this division and develop production and productivity, as a way to reduce the food gap and achieve sustainable Arab food security.