Issad Rebrab
Issad Rebrab | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Algeria |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, CEO |
| Known for | CEO of Cevital, largest private enterprise in Algeria |
Issad Rebrab (; born 1944) is an Algerian entrepreneur and billionaire, serving as the CEO of Cevital, the largest private enterprise in Algeria. The group operates across various sectors including steel production, food processing, agribusiness, and electronics. In 2019, he received a six-month sentence related to violations involving taxation, banking, and customs regulations.
Early life
Following his graduation from a vocational school, Rebrab worked as an instructor in accounting and commercial law before establishing his own accounting practice.
Career
Rebrab's industrial journey commenced in 1971 when he acquired a 20% ownership in Sotecom, a company specializing in metallurgical construction. Subsequently, he founded two steel manufacturing firms: Profilor in 1975 and Metal Sider in 1988.
After a terrorist attack devastated his primary facilities in 1995, Rebrab temporarily left Algeria but returned in 1998 to create Cevital. This enterprise evolved into Algeria's foremost private company and operates one of the globe’s largest sugar refineries, with an annual capacity of two million tons.
In 2016, Rebrab ventured into the media sector by purchasing El Khabar for $45 million. This acquisition complemented his control over the French-Algerian newspaper Liberte, which was shut down in April 2022.
On April 22, 2019, Rebrab was taken into custody amid an investigation into corruption and was released on January 1, 2020, after serving more than six months for financial misconduct charges.
A court decision on May 27, 2023, barred Issad Rebrab from participating in commercial enterprises.
Personal life
Rebrab is married and has five children.