Sonatrach and Sonelgaz to rehabilitate Oran's historic Sidi El Houari district

The rehabilitation project for Oran's historic Sidi El Houari district is entering its final phase, with the third and last part of the study currently under review. This progress follows a series of structural decisions, including the involvement of major public companies to revitalize the city's old heart. The Directorate of Culture and Arts of Oran recently hosted a meeting concerning the final stage of the permanent safeguarding plan for Sidi El Houari. This meeting included institutional stakeholders, such as representatives from the Wilaya People's Assembly and relevant directorates. The executive decree n°03-324 of October 5, 2003, frames the development of protection mechanisms for safeguarded areas, defining general planning rules, land use easements, properties prohibited from modification or demolition, and buildings requiring structural interventions. Notably, the municipality of Oran, despite being the project owner, was absent from this meeting. Classified as a safeguarded area since February 2015, Sidi El Houari's project faced delays, being frozen before its relaunch in 2021 with the appointment of the "Sehili Fayçal" design office. This office presented an initial phase along with an urgent work program estimated at nearly 80 billion centimes. In parallel with the overall plan, several buildings within the protected perimeter have been allocated to public companies for restoration. Decisions include the transfer of the former "Baudens" hospital to Sonatrach f