This paper provides an analysis of Algerian land development programs launched since 1983 in arid regions (steppe and in Sahara). To promote land development in these regions, public authorities implemented a number of legal and economic incentives for national private operators. Public land access was simplified by a new legal matrix (the 1983 APFA law for total propriety transfer and the Decree 97-483, 15/12/1997 for 40-year concession rights) and important public investments in infrastructure (roads, electrification, and collective boreholes) and direct farmers subsidies were applied.

Whereas the overall picture of the implementation of this policy is mixed, we focus on some success stories in order to decipher the conditions for successful intensive land development.