Algeria’s recent demonstrations against poverty and soaring prices, which led to overthrow of Abdelaziz Bouteflika, former president of Algeria, was much expected as I have noticed in my last visit to this beautiful country a severe level of poverty.
 The diversity of Algeria’s natural resources and its beautiful landscape should have made it one of the significant touristic destinations in the region. Signs of poverty in the capital city, however, are tangible in many aspects, which made me wonder about the expenditure policies of such a country, known for its rich natural resources. 
Algeria is ranked as one of the rich countries in oil, gas and natural minerals. Moreover, tourism alone could make up a huge source of national income. However, it seems that the political authority has intentionally neglected this obvious possibility. But why? What stopped officials from investing in tourism? 
If we compare Algeria to the United Arab Emirates, whose national revenue is far less, we could be surprised by its transmission from a desert entity to a powerful country. The question is why did Bouteflika Algeria’s president intended to ignore, throughout the five consecutive periods of his presidency, a comprehensive development plan? 
After its revolution against French occupation, Algeria was afflicted by presidents who exploited profited from the nation’s natural resources. Moreover, developing the country’s diversified resources was the last priority on the political agenda. 
We all remember the huge sacrifices offered by Algerian people to achieve the dream of national independence. It costed the country one million martyrs to achieve that goal. However, until this very day, people have not achieved welfare standards of living, government transparent policies, or even psychological security.
For many years, Algeria confronted the phenomenon of terrifying bloodshed in the streets, which consumed a good deal of the country’s economic resources in order to diminish roots of terrorism.
Such destructive beliefs would not have been prevalent, I believe, if education and social services were offered to the mainstream people by political institutions ever since the indepence. 
Such fanaticism can only nourish in an environment of poverty, ignorance, depression, and despair. Only in such environment, fanatic people can propagate these wrong concepts and allure uneducated youth to commit suicidal operations to gain a place in paradise and enjoy its endless temptations, as a compensation of lost opportunities in real life. Needless to say that the establishment of the Islamic State was the fanatics’ main target, despite the fact that Islam has nothing to do with such false beliefs. 
I have enjoyed Algeria’s fantastic tourist destinations; beaches famous for its white sand, stretched for thousands of kilometers, its green mountains, and dense forests, and the dry weather which freshened our skin and spirit as we wandered the streets and beaches. With appropriate laws, a lot of tourist projects would have been established here. 
The historical sites I visited were equally of a poor status, highly neglected; signs of poverty were clear enough to viewers and sightseeing tourists. The sight of children sitting helplessly at the doorsteps of their poorly lighted and neglected houses in the district of Qasaba, famous as a stronghold of fighters, resisting the French occupation was alarmingly painful. 
I wonder how this historical district, which witnessed many honorable battles for freedom, has reached this point of severe deterioration, and ugliness. Garbage was scattered and stinky smell prevailed all over the place. 
I had high hopes that local governments must have taken the responsibility of developing such historical places as the case in beautiful villages I visited in Spain last summer. I did not expect this level of poverty and negligence in almost all places I visited, despite the fact that Algeria is one of the most rich countries in the Arab world. How bizarre!