After operating the ports… economic operators fulfill an old demand:
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“Bank of Algeria” is behind the adoption of the new system to bring banking service closer to customers
Reducing 4 hours on Thursday and reorganizing work to ensure respect for the hourly volume
Banking agencies and financial institutions in Algeria will begin working on Saturday, starting from July 10, 2026, according to a weekly working hours extending from nine in the morning until midday, in implementation of instructions issued by the Bank of Algeria with the aim of improving customers’ access to banking services. The measure includes various banking institutions across the country, with the reorganization of the working hours of the employees concerned with the shift to ensure respect for the legal hourly volume of work. The decision comes within the framework of enhancing the continuity of banking service and facilitating financial transactions outside the usual working days, after repeated demands from economic customers to expand the hours and days of providing banking services.
In this context, the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (APAF) informed its chief executives, in an official correspondence bearing No. 448/2026 dated June 17, 2026 in Algiers, seen by Echorouk, of the necessity of starting to organize a banking session on Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00 for the benefit of customers.
The correspondence, addressed to “Gentlemen General Managers of Banks”, bearing the subject: “Regarding putting into force the operation on Saturday”, and referring to a previous correspondence No. 179/2026 dated 06/15/2026, stated that the association received a correspondence from the Bank of Algeria within the framework of improving citizens’ access to banking services and facilitating the implementation of their financial operations.
The same source explained that it was decided to request the establishment of banking hours every Saturday from nine in the morning until midday (09:00 – 12:00), allowing services to be brought closer to customers and facilitating their transactions outside the usual working days.
On the other hand, and to ensure respect for the legal weekly work period stipulated in the legislation in force, the association called on banks to reorganize the working hours of the employees concerned with this shift, by reducing four (04) working hours during Thursday, or adopting any other regulatory formula that guarantees the preservation of the legal hourly volume of work, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 90-11 of April 21, 1990, amended and supplemented.
The correspondent confirmed that these regulatory measures aim to ensure the continuity of public banking service and improve its quality for the benefit of customers, calling on banking institutions to take all necessary regulatory measures to implement this new system.
She also clarified that these arrangements will enter into force starting on July 10, 2026.
The Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions concluded its correspondence by emphasizing the necessity of strict adherence to these directives, as it was signed by the delegated Director General, Rachid Belaid.
This comes after the ports began operating last year, by order of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, all days of the week to prevent the accumulation of containers on the docks and disrupt economic activity, at a time when economic operators were demanding that the decision include banks as well.
Expanding banking working days to include Saturday is among the demands raised by economic traders and business owners for years, considering that the cessation of banking activity during the weekend was causing a delay in a number of financial and commercial operations, especially those related to import and export, settling payments and transferring funds between various dealers.
This measure would provide greater flexibility to economic operators and customers alike, by reducing the time frames for completing bank transactions and accelerating the processing of financial files and documents, thus contributing to improving the business climate and accompanying the increasing economic activity witnessed by the country, especially after adopting similar measures in the ports to ensure the continuity of commercial and service activity throughout the week.
