Mohamad Syala, the director general of Libya’s Cooperation Department of the People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation, has been quoted saying that the volume of trade between Libya and France in 2010 amounted to $4billion. The Libyan exports mainly include crude oil and petroleum products and petrochemicals. The Libyan imports from France include machinery and equipment, generators and some food items. According to Syala, French companies are implementing projects worth $27billion in Libya.

Source: The Tripoli Post 08.01.2011

Italian Energy Company Eni SpA has agreed to help Libya build a naval port, desalizization plant and 1,000 houses in the EI Agheila area along the Gulf of Sirte.
Eni Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni signed on 20 December the MOU during a weekend ceremony in Tripoli, the energy company said in a statement.

The memorandum outlines the undisclosed terms for construction of a shipping port and related infrastructure, a water desalination plant and 1,000 houses in an area near the Gulf of Sidra.

The Italian company said it signed a memorandum in 2006 with the Gaddafi Development foundation and Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corp. to help build an “innovative program of social projects” in the country.

Eni, Italy’s largest natural gas and oil company, is the biggest foreign palyer in Libya in terms of hydrocarbon production.

Eni said the agreement was part of a 2006 deal with the Libyans to invest in social projects such as building hospitals, preserving archaeological sites and training Libyan graduates.

Italy and Libya have long had good ties, which were sealed with a 2008 “friendship treaty” in which Italy agreed to pay Tripoli $5 billion for its 30-years occupation.

El Agheila is 2180 kilometeres (175 miles) west of Benghazi

Source: The Tripoli Post 27.12.2010

Libya signed last week a contract with Italian consulting companies whereby they will undertake management, supervising and consulting services related to the construction of the new highway linking Libyan boarders from east to west.
The length of highway will be linking Ras Jdair crossing with Tunisia and Imsaad on the eastern border with Egypt is 1700 Kilometers.
The project which is financed by the Italian government as part of its compensation of the Libyan people for its colonialization of the country in the last centuries part of the Partnership, Friendship and Cooperation Agreement signed by Libya and Italy two years ago.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior Libyan and Italian officials as well as a number of experts from both parties.
Libya’s Secretary of Cooperation Affairs with the Libyan foreign affairs department Mohammed Siala said the signing of the contract represented consolidation of Libyan-Italian relations.
The secretary highway of high specifications and quality agreed upon with the costs of €125m (one hundred and twenty five million Euros).
Siala said “I would like to congratulate the Leader of the Revolution and the Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi for their sharp vision and courageous decision to link the bonds of cooperation between the two peoples and turn the page the notorious past. We hope to be at the level of their aspirations for their sharp vision”.
The Italian Ambassador to Tripoli said this period is among the greatest historical eras witnessed by the Libyan-Italian cooperation. The new highway, the ambassador said, would be a major landmark of cooperation between the two countries and forget the painful past.

Source: The Tripoli Post 18.12.2010

Libya will bankroll most of a 116 billion Egyptian pounds real estate project launched jointly with Egypt’s housing ministry to offer homes for millions of young Egyptians, according to media reports.
Libya would provide 78 percent of the capital for the 5,600 acre al-Fateh city on the outskirts of Cairo to be built over the next twenty years, while Egypt will pay the rest, said Abdel-Hamid Shaer, media advisor at the Egyptian Housing Ministry, as quoted by Reuters on Wednesday 15 Dec.
“Our Libyan brothers have proposed to build this project over six phases over the course of the next twenty years to house our young,”Shaer said. “The project will also help the new Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) in developing land”.
The Libyan Company for Investments showed NUCA a proposal for the city, which will include residential and commercial, unites as well as a planned tropical garden and theme park.
A 2004-2008 property boom that provided homes for the wealthy elite helped Egypt weather a global downturn, Reuters reported. Analysts say developers need to switch to middle class property to keep revenue flowing.
The government is under pressure to provide housing for young people in Egypt, where lacking a home is seen as a major obstacle to marriage.
 
Source: The Tripoli Post 18.12.2010

A Turkish company will construct the biggest football stadium of North Africa in Tripoli. “Ronesans Holding” and its Austrian partner PORRAG will construct the stadium in Tripoli, the capital city of Libya.
The stadium will be ready for African Nations Cup in 2013. The 200 million euro project will have a capacity of 50 thousand seats and will be constructed in line with UEFA standards. The stadium will have a parking area for 10,000 vehicles. The roof of the stadium will be built on three steel arches rising 100 meters to symbolize the ancient cities of Oea, Leptis Magna and Sabratha.
Kamil Yanikomeroglu, Chairman of Ronesand Holding Real Estate Group, said the due date of the stadium was 2013, however noted that they promised that they would conclude the construction till December 12, 2012 the time when a friendly match will be played between Libya and Brazil.
Yanikomeroglu said the stadium would be the biggest and most modern stadium of North Africa. He side Ronesans Holding entered Libyan market 2.5 years ago, adding that, “Our business volume in Libya amounted to 2 billion USD. We are planning to double it in two years”. (World bulletin).
 
Source: The Tripoli Post 18.12.2010

Libya signed a contract worth of $ 227million dollars in Rome for the establishment of the Aqeelah project area for the implementation of 1000 housing units with all facilities to service the desalination plant for water and construction of a seaport with the latest technologies.
The contract was signed in the presence of the General Secretary of People's committee Dr. Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi and the General Commissioner of the company Annie Skeroni Paulo and the Libyan Ambassador in Italy.

The General Secretary of the Privatization and Investment Board declared yesterday 6th Dec, 2010 in Tripoli, that the first phase of investment in Libya began in 2007 and ending in 2011, indicating that Libya spent on this stage about (125) billion dinars on infrastructure, both in the construction of housing, roads and airports and that the second phase of investment will begin in 2012 and for the next five years Libya will spend the same amount on the development of infrastructure.

The "Boo" Austrian group mentioned that they won the tender to build the stadium deal worth 200 million Euros.
The group explained that they will cooperate in building this project with a Turkish and a Libyan company.
As they confessed that the new stadium which will have a capacity of 50 thousand spectators will be the largest in Libya.
In addition, they also stated that the roof would be hung on three steel arches rise 100 meters to symbolize the old three Romanian cities in Libya, and Oya, Sabratha and Leptis Magna.
Libya plans to build another stadium in the city of Benghazi in order to host the finals.

Photo: Officials from Al-Libya Al-Qataria (ALAQ) during the break ground of The Water Front a luxury residential and resort development along Libya's Mediterranean coast.

The Waterfront to Include 5-Star Resort, Residences, Shops, and More

Tripoli- Work has begun on Wednesday at The Waterfront, a luxury residential and resort development located near Tripoli along Libya's Mediterranean coast, announced Al-Libya Al-Qataria (ALAQ), a joint venture between Oyia (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Libya's Economic and Social Development Fund) and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority).

The Waterfront will be a premium, gated, mixed-use community located in Janzour, a western suburb of the Libyan capital. Central to the project is a five-star resort hotel, the first in Tripoli to offer a waterfront location along with first-class amenities and unsurpassed service.

In addition to the five-star hotel, the 42-hectare development includes serviced residential apartments, luxury villas, and an upscale neighborhood retail village. Additional amenities include beach access to the Mediterranean, extensive walking trails, top-quality fitness and sports facilities, shops, gourmet restaurants, and more.

With nearly 300 rooms and suites, The Waterfront's resort hotel will be able to accommodate both business travelers and tourists in an atmosphere of comfort and luxury.

Hotel amenities will include a full-service conference facility and business center, a luxury day spa and fitness facility, international-quality tennis courts, an outdoor pool complex, a private beach club, and five world-class seaside restaurants. Spacious, state-of-the-art guest rooms will feature high-tech sound systems, flat-screen high-definition televisions, DVD players, wireless high-speed internet, customized bedding and linens, an ergonomically-designed work area, premium four-fixture bathrooms, and local artwork.

The hotel has been designed so that each guest room offers a sweeping view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Equally luxurious will be the serviced residences at The Waterfront.

Custom-designed homes combined with resort-style amenities offer an international-standard lifestyle to community residents. A mix of luxury villas, maisonettes, and apartments will ensure that potential residents can easily find a home customized to their needs. The Waterfront will offer residents the highest level of security; amenities include numerous swimming pools and seaside terraces, lush Mediterranean landscaping, walking trails, an oceanfront beach club, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

The Waterfront retail village will feature a wide array of shops and facilities to meet the needs of daily life, including an upscale neighborhood market, laundry and dry cleaning services, banking facilities, and a number of cafes and restaurants.

Abdul Aziz Al Theyab, Chairman of ALAQ Board of Directors, said, "Libya is one of the fastest-growing business and tourist markets in the region, and international travelers are just beginning to learn about its rich history and vibrant culture. The Waterfront is a truly unique development in a remarkable Mediterranean setting; we are honored to bring a new level of world-class accommodation to Libya in partnership with Oyia and Qatari Diar."

"The Waterfront will offer an unprecedented level of service and luxury in Libya," added Wesam Eledrisi, the Vice Chairman of ALAQ's Board of Directors. "This vision is being achieved with an emphasis on innovation, partnership, and raising the standard of living in the Tripoli area, and the ongoing cooperation and enormous support we've received from both the Libyan Jamahiriya and the State of Qatar have been integral in our success.”

Eng. Mohammed bin Ali Al-Hedfa, Group CEO of Qatari Diar, added, "We are delighted to be breaking ground on The Waterfront, and we consider it an important symbol of the deep friendship between Libya and the State of Qatar. Furthermore, we believe that The Waterfront's world-class resort and residences have the potential to herald a new era of luxury living for both Libyan residents and the growing number of business and leisure travelers who visit Tripoli."

Numerous international consultants are providing assistance to the project. The initial phase of The Waterfront is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012.