The Curse of Oil That Crushed Our Ambitions

Libya Observer

4 days ago

By Omar Swehli, political activist
'Oil will be a curse upon you; it will kill every ambition beyond itself.'
These were the words of the journalist Abdulqader Abu Hrous (may he rest in peace), written back in the 1960s. And how true his warning was—for Libyans.
In 2011, while Libya was boiling over in the flames of revolution, its small neighbor Malta was officially joining the European Union—carrying with it many hopes… and very few resources.
At that time, Malta was a struggling, relatively poor country by European standards:Unemployment was high,Salaries were low,Cars were old and falling apart,Public transport consisted of no more than 40 taxis and 10 buses,Markets were small and few,
And shopping malls were a distant dream.
Even the roads were congested despite the few vehicles on them, and infrastructure was quite basic.
Yet, the Maltese lira was strong, and the economy relied partly on Libyan investment, oil-based aid, and some smuggling of goods from Libya—the wealthy and open country at the time.
But then… the equation flipped.
While Libya sank deeper into conflict and fragmentation, with its economy drained year after year, Malta—the small, oil-less country with limited land—began rising steadily and silently.
In just 14 years, Malta transformed into a small but efficient economic model:
Unemployment is nearly nonexistent
The country now imports foreign labor to meet growing demand in tourism, construction, and services,High-rise buildings replaced the once-short, crumbling structures,Shopping malls and major commercial centers flourished,Tourism boomed—visitor numbers increased more than tenfold,
Bridges were built to ease traffic as roads became filled with modern cars.
Today, Malta is among the safest and fastest-growing countries in Europe.It's striving to catch up with European development—not with help from Libya, but without any reliance on it.
In fact, Libyans are now the ones hoping for a visa from Malta.
Once, Libyans could enter Malta with just a national ID card. Now, they wait for a month to get a visa—and many applications are simply rejected.
Meanwhile, Libya, the land of oil and vast spaces, took an entirely opposite path:
From a promising state to one torn by war and division,From a strong economy to a fragile system hijacked by corruption and militias,From being open to the world to suffering from isolation and strict visa requirements,
From active airports and mega-projects to destroyed infrastructure and abandoned developments.
The real pain is not that Malta advanced, but that Libya had more—and lost its way.
Fourteen years were enough to change the fate of two neighboring countries.Malta, the once-poor state, bet on stability, rationality, and openness—and won.Libya, the oil-rich nation, fell into the trap of conflict and desire—and lost.
Lost money, opportunities, and the dignity of its citizens abroad.
The painful question remains:
Do we still have time to change course?
Libya doesn't need more oil. What it truly needs is conscious minds, pure hearts, sincere determination, and loyal hands committed to lifting it up again.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Libya Observer Tags: Omar Swehli January 10, 2025 0 comment December 27, 2024 0 comment