Chott el-Jérid loses mining concession on 13 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 17:57 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSConcession decision and salt landscape
- Tunisia’s official gazette recorded the cancellation for Menchia - Chott El Jerid on 13 November 2026.
- The 800-hectare concession covered natural mineral substances, but the notice does not announce a visitor closure.
- The earlier concession was created in 2019 for a saline area near Tozeur.
Chott el-Jérid is at the centre of a mining concession cancellation recorded on 13 November 2026 in Tunisia’s official gazette. The decision concerns the Menchia site in the Tozeur governorate, while the salt lake itself remains a landscape visited from the oasis town.
Mining concession cancellation recorded in Tozeur
The Journal Officiel published an order cancelling the concession for fourth-group mineral substances at Menchia - Chott El Jerid. The site is identified in the order as being in the governorate of Tozeur, placing the administrative change in the same region as the natural landmark. The official gazette entry records the order as signed on 8 October 2026 and published on 13 November 2026.
The cancelled title had covered 800 hectares and had originally been granted for 30 years. The company holding the rights renounced the concession in a letter to the ministry dated 5 March 2026, after the Consultative Mining Committee gave a favourable opinion on 31 July 2026. The ministry has not published a reason for the renunciation, and the order does not state whether extraction had begun.
The decision was made by the minister temporarily directing Tunisia’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy. It ends the rights arising from the concession from publication of the order, rather than announcing a new visitor facility or a change to tourist services. A regional report gives the administrative background and identifies the resource as natural salts and brines. The concession background also records that the original title was created in 2019.
What the decision says about the salt lake
The place is a broad saline depression in south-western Tunisia between Tozeur and Kebili. Its surface is associated with salt crusts, natural brines and the long road linking the two oasis towns. The recent order is therefore relevant to the landscape’s land-use history, but it does not describe the chemical composition of the Menchia deposit or confirm any extraction activity.
For travellers, the connection between the decision and the landscape is precise: a 2019 industrial right covering 800 hectares has now been removed, while the gazette notice names no closure, fence, altered entrance or restricted viewpoint. The lake’s physical setting remains the reason visitors encounter the site from the Tozeur side, rather than through a dedicated mine or museum.
A regional account describes Chott el-Jérid as a saline expanse of around 5,000 square kilometres and places the paved route between Tozeur and Kebili at about 60 kilometres. Those descriptions concern the wider landscape, not the 800-hectare concession area. The regional landscape account also describes the site as accessible by the paved road.
Visiting Chott el-Jérid: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The relevant administrative change was published on 13 November 2026 for the Menchia - Chott El Jerid site in the Tozeur governorate.
- The cancellation concerns mineral rights over 800 hectares; the official order does not announce a closure or a changed visitor entrance.
- Chott el-Jérid lies between Tozeur and Kebili, with the main paved route crossing the saline landscape.
- The wider salt depression is described as roughly 5,000 square kilometres, and the route between the two oasis towns is described as about 60 kilometres.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Chott el-Jérid
What changed at Chott el-Jérid?
Tunisia cancelled the Menchia - Chott El Jerid mineral concession in an order published on 13 November 2026. The decision removes the rights arising from that concession.
Where is Chott el-Jérid and how do you get there?
The saline depression lies between Tozeur and Kebili in south-western Tunisia. The regional route between the two towns is paved.
What is Chott el-Jérid?
It is a broad saline depression associated with salt crusts and natural brines. The wider landscape is described as covering around 5,000 square kilometres.
