Libya's Benghazi Hosts Major Italy-Libya Business Event
Described by Italy's Nova News Agency as the most significant partnership initiative between the two countries in recent years, the forum will run through June 26 and includes the participation of around 100 Italian companies.
A New Era for Italian Business in Libya
According to Nova, the event signifies a turning point for Italian entrepreneurship in Libya, while the ITA Airways flight AZ8035 symbolises a renewed industrial and commercial dialogue across the Mediterranean.
Nicola Colicchi, President of the Italian-Libyan Chamber of Commerce, said that Benghazi is now 'Libya's most stable and dynamic area.' He stressed that this was a business-driven forum, unlike the recent government-led summit in Tripoli during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit.
The forum is organised by the Italian-Libyan Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Italian Embassy in Tripoli and the Consulate General in Benghazi. More than 450 entrepreneurs, business leaders, and Libyan representatives are expected to attend.
Strategic Focus on Reconstruction in Cyrenaica
The forum will feature B2B meetings tailored to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, water management, logistics, agriculture, environmental technologies, and sustainable development—all identified by the Libyan Reconstruction Fund as priority sectors.
Libyan conglomerates working in construction, food processing, fisheries, and healthcare will be main partners in exploring joint ventures. Dozens of Libyan SMEs are also participating, with organisers noting a high demand for Italian expertise, technology, and business management.
Italy's Economic Goals Amid Global Competition
Italy hopes to strengthen its economic footprint in Libya amid growing competition from Turkey, China, and Russia. Colicchi pointed out: 'The Turks are everywhere—even if their methods are more aggressive and less refined, they're seen as reliable partners. Our strength is quality.'
He added that one of the forum's core messages is to boost structured Italian presence in Libya and overcome fragmented engagement. 'It's time to stop following and start leading,' said Colicchi.
Benghazi is now being compared to an 'open construction site,' echoing Shanghai's development boom in the early 2000s, with intense public and private investment.
Key Role of Libya's Reconstruction Fund
Led by Belgasem Haftar, the Libyan Fund for Development and Reconstruction is the main Libyan partner in the initiative. The fund recently requested 69 billion Libyan dinars (approx. €11 billion) for the next three years from the House of Representatives, following the swift rebuilding of Derna after Storm Daniel.
The Italian-Libyan Chamber will also announce the opening of a new permanent office in Benghazi, providing a base for Italian businesses to operate and grow in Libya without needing constant travel between Rome and Benghazi.
Italian Firms Target Strategic Sectors in Libya
The participating companies cover strategic sectors such as health, energy, logistics, manufacturing, and construction. Key names include:
Iveco Group: one of Europe's largest industrial vehicle producers
Renco: healthcare and integrated engineering
Todini: infrastructure construction, currently working on the long-delayed East–West Coastal Highway
Termomeccanica: advanced water management systems
Rapanelli: olive oil extraction systems
Coelmo: energy and generator solutions
Bonifacio Ltd: metal and mechanical construction
Indeco: environmental and energy solutions
Limonta Sport: sports infrastructure
Molmix, MP Foodex, Infinity Innovation: agricultural processing and food technology
Dozens of other small and mid-sized Italian companies are also showcasing their offerings at the forum. Tags: benghaziItalylibyaRome
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Libya Review
4 hours ago
- Libya Review
Libya's Electoral Commission Calls for Security Crackdown After Office Attacks
On Friday, Libya's High National Election Commission (HNEC) condemned what it described as 'criminal assaults' on its electoral offices in the Western Coastal region and the city of Al-Zawiya, warning that these attacks are deliberate attempts to sabotage the democratic process and deny citizens their constitutional right to vote. According to the commission, the Western Coastal Electoral Administration Office was set ablaze in the early hours of Friday, resulting in the complete destruction of the building. In Al-Zawiya, attackers targeted the main storage facility, destroying vital ballot materials, as well as a training hall used to prepare election staff. HNEC said these incidents represent a direct assault on the integrity of the electoral process, stressing that such acts will not deter it from fulfilling its national mandate to organize free and fair elections that meet the highest international standards. The commission called on security agencies to take full responsibility for tracking down and prosecuting those responsible, and to ensure that all electoral facilities across Libya are protected. The statement also urged political leaders, civil society, and the public to unite in defending the electoral process, emphasizing that safeguarding the will of the Libyan voter is a collective responsibility. These attacks come amid an increasingly tense political and security climate, with Libya still struggling to prepare for long-delayed national elections. Observers warn that targeting election infrastructure—particularly the destruction of ballot materials and training facilities—poses serious logistical challenges that could delay or disrupt any planned polls. Tags: AttacksCommissionElectionsHNEClibya
Libya Review
7 hours ago
- Libya Review
Unidentified Attackers Set Fire to Libya's Coastal Election Office
Unidentified attackers attempted to set fire to the Electoral Administration Office in Libya's western coastal region, in what appears to be another deliberate strike against the country's fragile election process. According to the office's head, Ahmed Al-Arbash, security authorities alerted him early this morning that the facility had caught fire. While the full extent of the damage has yet to be confirmed, initial reports indicate that some equipment was destroyed beyond repair, while certain documents and devices were successfully recovered. Security forces have opened an investigation, and the High National Election Commission (HNEC) has been informed. Al-Arbash said it will be up to the commission to decide whether electoral operations in the area will continue as scheduled. The incident follows a worrying pattern of targeted attacks on election offices. Recently, the HNEC branch in Zliten was assaulted by armed assailants who opened fire, planted an explosive device with a timer, and fired an RPG grenade. The projectile missed its intended target and hit a civilian home, causing material damage but no injuries. Observers warn that such acts are calculated attempts to sabotage Libya's already delicate electoral preparations, undermine public confidence, and intimidate voters and election workers. The western coastal region, like much of the country, remains vulnerable to politically motivated violence, fueled by local rivalries, the presence of armed groups, and ongoing disputes over the electoral process itself. The repeated targeting of electoral infrastructure raises serious concerns about security readiness ahead of any national vote. Ensuring the protection of these facilities and personnel has become a pressing priority for both Libyan authorities and international partners who view elections as a vital step toward stability. The HNEC now faces the challenge of restoring damaged operations quickly while reassuring the public that violence will not derail the democratic process. However, without stronger preventive measures and a coordinated security plan, experts warn that similar attacks could continue, threatening to delay or disrupt any future elections. Tags: attackElectionsFirelibyaWest LibyaZliten
Libya Review
7 hours ago
- Libya Review
Hannibal Gaddafi's Release Stalled by Political & Judicial Deadlock
A senior Lebanese judicial source has outlined the two decisive conditions for the release of Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libya's late leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has been held in Lebanon for more than a decade. The first requirement is that Hannibal must provide any information he may have about the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions during their 1978 visit to Libya. The second is that the Libyan authorities must fully cooperate with the Lebanese judiciary by implementing the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries and handing over a copy of their own post-2011 investigations into the case. The source confirmed that Lebanese investigators have yet to receive any of these documents from Tripoli, a lack of cooperation that has effectively frozen progress in the case. This, he noted, places the responsibility for the ongoing detention squarely on Libya's shoulders. Lebanon's legal stance holds that the crime of kidnapping Imam al-Sadr remains active until his fate is determined, meaning that anyone suspected of having relevant knowledge is considered complicit. Given Hannibal's upbringing within the ruling circle and his past role overseeing political prisons in Libya, he is believed to possess potentially critical information, particularly about Janzour Prison, where al-Sadr is suspected to have been held. The judicial source stressed that Hannibal's release is not on the table for now, and the fact that his detention has entered its tenth year does not pressure Lebanese authorities to act. The case, he said, is likely to remain stuck in political and judicial limbo between Beirut and Tripoli unless there is a significant breakthrough. Hannibal Gaddafi was detained in December 2015 on charges of withholding information about the disappearance of Imam al-Sadr and his companions. Over the past decade, multiple local and international efforts to resolve the matter have failed, leaving the case locked in stalemate, with no sign of a resolution on the horizon. Tags: CustodyHannibal GaddafiLebanonlibya
