عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Tunisia-Algeria Railway Resumes Services after 30-Year Hiatus

The train at the railway station in the Tunisian capital (TAP)
The train at the railway station in the Tunisian capital (TAP)
TT
TT

Tunisia-Algeria Railway Resumes Services after 30-Year Hiatus

The train at the railway station in the Tunisian capital (TAP)
The train at the railway station in the Tunisian capital (TAP)

The Algeria-Tunisia railway resumed its services on Sunday morning after a nearly three-decade hiatus because of political turmoil in Algeria, and a deteriorating security situation in the 1990s.
The inaugural commercial service was launched from Tunis to Algeria’s Annaba Station.
The train will travel a distance of 357 km, accommodating up to 300 passengers per trip.
Tunisia’s Acting Minister of Transport Sarra Zafarani Zanzri and her Algerian counterpart Mohamed El Habib Zahana gave the go-ahead for this first journey at the Tunis railway station.
The seven-hour journey will cover more than 300 km with stops in the stations of Beja, Jendouba, Ghar el-Damma and Algeria's Souk Ahras and Annaba, he said.
In June, the two sides ran several test trips after signing an agreement on the mechanisms for re-running a train between Tunisia and Algeria.
The Tunisian National Railways Company will first run the trips, which will boost tourism and trade between the two countries, and will ease the pressure on congested land crossings. Nearly 3 million Algerian tourists arrive in Tunisia annually.

 

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Outrage in Yemen Over Houthi Takeover of Sana’a University Land

A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
TT
TT

Outrage in Yemen Over Houthi Takeover of Sana’a University Land

A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)

The decision to transfer land from Sana’a University to investors connected with the Houthi group has caused outrage among Yemen’s academics and raised fears that other state lands and facilities could be targeted in the same way.
A recently leaked document shows that Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the so-called Supreme Political Council (the Houthis’ ruling body), ordered the allocation of 10,000 libnah (about 44.44 square meters for each libnah) of the university’s land to an unknown individual, Abdu Ali Hadi, for medical investment projects.
In late May, a directive ordered the allocation of an additional 40,000 libnah of land to Abdu Ali Hadi in the Bani Matar area west of Sana’a. This was proposed by the same individual who received land from Sana’a University.
University academics told Asharq Al-Awsat that these actions are seen as a deliberate attack on higher education, aimed at blocking the university’s future expansion.
One academic criticized the decision, noting that there are plenty of state-owned lands in and around Sana’a that could be used for development, but they are controlled and misused by the Houthi group.
The academic argued that targeting the university’s land suggests a systematic effort to weaken the educational system and turn its institutions into tools for promoting the Houthi agenda.
In recent years, al-Mashat has ordered the transfer of parts of Sana’a University’s land and buildings to the Endowment Authority, a Houthi-controlled body. This was widely criticized by academics and students as an attempt to plunder the university.
Another academic noted that the university’s Houthi-led administration has remained silent about these actions, suggesting a coordinated effort among Houthi leaders to misuse the university’s assets as part of their broader strategy to seize public property.
A third academic noted that before the Houthi takeover, corruption at Sana’a University involved only leasing land for the university’s benefit. In contrast, under al-Mashat, land is being allocated to individuals, benefiting specific people rather than the university.
The academic pointed out that previous corrupt officials did not dare to systematically target the university as the Houthis do, aiming to deprive the community of education and exploit public resources.
A university faculty member also recalled that three years ago, the Houthi administration decided to sell some university land to support combat fronts. The faculty member regretted that this decision was not well-publicized and the fate of the land remains unknown.
Criticism of the land decision has not only come from academics and social figures opposed to the Houthis but also from within the Houthi ranks. Some Houthi leaders and activists have expressed dissatisfaction and called for the decision to be reversed and for al-Mashat to be held accountable.
Pro-Houthi lawyer Hashim Sharaf al-Din has threatened to sue al-Mashat, arguing that the decision to allocate university land is illegal. He claimed it violates multiple laws, including those governing public institutions and state property, and has pledged to take legal action to overturn the decision.