The Libyan Government of National Union (NUG) has launched an ambitious $2.7 billion project to modernize and expand the port of the Misrata Free Zone in the west of the country. Intended to strengthen the country’s logistics in the Western Mediterranean and diversify an economy that is still largely dependent on hydrocarbons, this program, carried out in a public-private partnership with Qatari, Italian and Swiss companies, aims to increase the port’s capacity to 4 million containers per year.
In order to strengthen its logistical position in the western Mediterranean and diversify its economy beyond hydrocarbons, the Libyan Government of National Union (NUG) announced on January 18, 2026, the launch of a $2.7 billion investment project to develop and expand the port terminal of the Misrata free zone. Presented as one of the largest maritime infrastructure projects in the country’s history, the program will be implemented as part of a public-private partnership with a consortium of Qatari, Italian and Swiss companies.
I still remind you that it is a country that is still at war. Succeeding in mobilizing $2.7 billion in investments abroad without weighing on public finances is already a turning point. So, under the impetus of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dabey and with the support of the maritime giant MLC anyway, Libya is trying to reconnect.
Boubacar BA, Journalist – Senegal
Boubacar BA, Journalist – Senegal
The project envisages a significant expansion of the capacity of the port of Misrata, with a target of 4 million containers treated per year, compared to significantly lower levels currently. Once operational, the new terminal is expected to generate between $500 million and $600 million in annual revenue, boosting the country’s non-hydrocarbon revenues.
Try to make Misrata a Mediterranean hub that will be able to handle up to 4 million containers per year. So, the fallout is immediate. Revenues, jobs, especially economic diversification in a country that until then is hyper dependent on oil. Basically, this port says something very simple. When weapons block the future, the economy can sometimes reopen the way. And in Misrata, it is precisely this bet.
Boubacar BA, Journalist – Senegal
Boubacar BA, Journalist – Senegal
The initiative is also expected to create approximately 8,400 direct jobs and more than 60,000 indirect jobs. Thanks to its strategic position on the northwest coast of Libya, Misrata could become a regional hub for transhipment and maritime trade, capable of competing with the main Mediterranean ports.
source : africa24tv
