Issad Rebrab

Born: 1944, Algeria Nationality: Algerian Profession: Businessman, industrialist Known For: Founder & CEO of Cevital Group, Algeria’s largest private company

Early Life & Education

• Graduated from a professional school.

• Initially worked as a teacher of accounting and commercial law.

• Left teaching to establish his own accounting firm, which became the foundation for his entry into industry.

Career Timeline

• 1971: Entered industry by acquiring 20% of Sotecom, a metallurgical construction company.

• 1975: Founded Profilor, a steel company.

• 1988: Established Metal Sider, further expanding into steel production.

• 1995: His main installations were destroyed in a terrorist attack; temporarily left Algeria.

• 1998: Returned and founded Cevital Group, which grew into Algeria’s largest private conglomerate.

Cevital Group

• Diversified into steel, food, agribusiness, electronics, logistics, and retail.

• Owns one of the world’s largest sugar refineries, with a capacity of 2 million tons per year.

• Became a symbol of Algerian private-sector growth and resilience.

Media Investments

• 2016: Acquired El Khabar media group for $45 million.

• Previously owned Liberté, a French-Algerian daily newspaper (closed in 2022).

Legal Issues

• April 2019: Arrested and incarcerated at El Harrach prison during a corruption probe.

• January 2020: Released after serving longer than his six-month sentence for tax, banking, and customs offenses.

• Fined 1.383 billion dinars (~$11.6 million).

• May 2023: Court ruling prohibited him from engaging in commerce.

Personal Life

• Married, father of five children.

• Known for maintaining a relatively private family life despite his public business profile.

Quick Facts

In summary: Issad Rebrab is a self-made industrialist who built Cevital into Algeria’s largest private company, diversifying across multiple sectors. Despite legal challenges and restrictions in recent years, his legacy remains tied to the modernization of Algeria’s private economy