Dar El Beïda (; ) is a municipality and the seat of the eponymous district, in Algiers Province. It is located in the eastern suburbs of the capital, approximately 16 kilometers from Algiers city center, and lies at a crossroads linking the capital to the eastern and southern regions of the country.
Historically, the settlement dates back to the 1840s, when it served as a stagecoach relay known as "Maison-Blanche" (White House) named after a whitewashed wooden building. Designated as a settlement center in 1851, it became an independent municipality in 1882, and gained new importance in 1936 with the development of commercial aviation. During World War II, the town played a significant role with the Anglo-American landings of Operation Torch in November 1942, and later served as an air and logistics base for the Allied forces.
Today, Dar El Beïda has become a major financial and commercial hub, ranking among the municipalities with the highest budgetary resources nationally. It is home to Houari Boumediene Airport, the country's main international airport, and acts as a major transport hub connecting highway networks, railways, and future extensions of the Algiers Metro. Its economy is driven by a large industrial zone housing the headquarters of several major national companies as well as the commercial activity of the El Hamiz neighborhood, thereby reinforcing its role as an economic center and eastern gateway to the capital.
It is bordered by Bordj El Kiffan to the north, Oued Smar and Les Eucalyptus to the south, Rouïba and Hammadi (Boumerdès Province) to the east, and Bab Ezzouar to the west.
The area now known as Dar El Beïda (formerly Maison-Blanche) originated in the 1840s as a road junction and stagecoach stop (Relais de diligence) on the route leading to the "Fondouk" region. This stop consisted of a whitewashed wooden building including an inn for travelers, which gave the area its name "Maison-Blanche". Its agricultural beginnings were also linked to the property of an individual named Charles Muller who settled there in 1840.
"Maison-Blanche" was officially created as a "settlement center" by a presidential decree issued by the French colonial administration under Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1851, as part of a plan to settle European families in the Mitidja plain. Geographically, the region was described in documents as being very flat, with an altitude not exceeding 30 meters, and bounded by Oued Smar to the west and the El Hamiz River to the east.
In its early days, Dar El Beïda was not an independent municipality but was administratively dependent on the center of "La Rassauta" (which also included parts of Bordj El Kiffan). This situation continued until June 2, 1882, when an official decree divided "La Rassauta", thus elevating "Maison-Blanche" to the status of an independent municipality with all its prerogatives.
A significant development came in 1936 with the start of commercial air transport development, where the first concrete runway for aircraft, 1450 meters long, was built between 1938 and 1940, marking the origins of what would become Algiers International Airport.
During World War II, the municipality and its airport played a central role in the North African theater. On November 8, 1942, the region was the scene of Anglo-American landings in North Africa to end the Vichy French government's control over Algerian territories as part of what became known as Operation Torch. Given the importance of air cover, the "Maison-Blanche" airport was classified as a top-priority military target. Following the Allied landings on the eastern beaches of Algiers (such as Surcouf beach in Aïn Taya), units of the US 34th Infantry Division advanced and seized control of the airport.
Once secured, the airport and surrounding region were transformed into a major air base and logistics center classified in US military records as "War Theatre #15". This base supported Allied operations during the Tunisian campaign and later during the invasion of Italy. Consequently, the airport became a frequent target of Luftwaffe air raids to hinder Allied supplies. These attacks peaked in late November (specifically the night of November 21, 1942), causing severe damage to several aircraft hangars, prompting Allied forces to establish an anti-aircraft defense network around the base.
Following Algeria's independence in 1962, the Algerian State undertook the Arabization of city and municipality names as part of a broader policy of decolonization. Consequently, the French name "Maison-Blanche" was translated into its Arabic equivalent to become the official name of the municipality, "Dar El Beïda". Since then, the municipality has developed from an agricultural and military zone into a significant urban, industrial, and commercial center of the Algerian capital.
The municipality of Dar El Beïda ranks among the wealthiest municipalities in Algeria and leads Algiers Province in annual financial resources. As of 2012, according to the Ministry of the Interior, the municipality's annual resources amounted to approximately 4.5 billion Algerian dinars.
The municipality's revenues are primarily from three major sources:
The industrial zone under the municipality's jurisdiction, extending towards Oued Smar, houses production units and the headquarters of several major national companies, including:
The municipality of Dar El Beïda serves as a major transport hub in Algiers, home to several key infrastructure facilities. Its infrastructure is distributed as follows:
Several neighborhoods are located in the municipality of Dar El Beïda, including: El Kour (New City), 20 August neighborhood, El Hamiz, Krim Belkacem, 150 Housing, Haouch Attar, and the El Oumal neighborhood.