Libya enters Gulf investors’ calculations
LIBYA – An analytical report published by the US magazine Global Finance spotlighted Gulf investors’ interest in Libya amid the current turmoil in energy markets.
North Africa gaining growing importance
The report, which Al-Marsad followed and translated key analytical points from, said regional uncertainty was pushing Gulf Cooperation Council states to strengthen their investments in North Africa, arguing that Libya — with its vast oil reserves — represented an attractive opportunity even though it had for years remained a source of concern and trouble for foreign investors.
UAE and Qatar, and ties with Tripoli and Benghazi
According to the report, Gulf states — led by the UAE and, to a lesser extent, Qatar — had succeeded in building relations with Tripoli and Benghazi despite the instability.
The report quoted geopolitical expert Mohamed Dorda as saying these countries had grown accustomed to dealing with this landscape for some time, and that the matter was primarily about securing shared interests.
Building political capital and opportunities near Europe
Dorda added that the next step was knowing exactly where to place investments, explaining that Gulf investors in Libya had for some time been building the necessary political capital.
He noted that North Africa was gaining growing importance in global trade because of its geographic proximity to Europe and its capacity to help fill supply gaps created by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Libya and Algeria as candidates to meet energy needs
Dorda said Libya and Algeria were viewed as among the strongest candidates to help meet global energy needs, arguing that this created promising opportunities.
