She won gold in the 10,000 metres at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics and the 2005 Mediterranean Games.

She holds the Algerian records for every women's event between 3000 metres and the marathon distance.

Salem reached the top fifty at the 2000 and 2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.

She ran in the 5000 metres at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and the 2004 Summer Olympics but did not progress beyond her heat in either competition.

[5] In 2017 she tested positive for Torasemide and was banned from competition for 18 months between 11 March 2017 and 8 October 2018.