Saint-Saëns manifested his particular fondness for northern Africa—he frequently vacationed there, collecting authentic melodies of the region—in a number of African-themed works. (This "exotic" influence is evident in, for example, a fantasy for piano and orchestra entitled Africa, Op. 89, as well as in the Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 103, which bears the subtitle "Egyptian.") Algeria, which was adminstered under a French military government, was the composer's favorite destination. When Algeria's legal status was changed from a military colony to a Department of Metropolitan France, Saint-Saëns wrote the Suite algérienne to mark the occasion.

Saint-Saëns' sumptuously scored suite incorporates several authentic North African melodies. The final "French Military March" depicts the French guard in Algeria. This stirring movement, the most familiar selection from the work, is frequently performed as an independent concert piece.

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