Libya Construction – Developing Business in the New Era
Libya has for some time represented a massive opportunity for growth for the international built environment business community. Colossal state wealth + huge land area + antiquated infrastructure + incentive for change: it doesn’t take a genius to see that there is room to do something if you have the enthusiasm to pursue it.
British architect GMW have come back from Tripoli this week with a small commission in hand after a four-day trade mission led by private trade organisation British Expertise in collaboration with the UKTI.
2008 designs for Libya's Museum of Conflict by London-based architecture practice Metropolitan Workshop.
A small bunch of companies who’d spent time during the previous regime doing some of the necessary groundwork have recently reported that they are back in front of officials and trying to pick up on threads of projects that had swiftly halted at the outbreak of civil war.
Not to long ago, some smaller US construction contractors had braved a potential homeland backlash and developed relationships with their Libyan counterparts.
So what opportunity could there be for the wider construction community to develop business in the new Libya? Well, if experiences elsewhere are anything to go by, showing some commitment, getting in amongst it on the ground and forging relationships with local businesses is likely to provide a stable route in.
BD Online report that Dominic James, the British Expertise director who led the trip, called Libya a land of opportunity.
But he added: “It’s going to be a hard market for the foreseeable future and especially until after the elections.”
The delegates were told that future work would cover housing, education, health, transport, offices, retail and hospitality. Existing projects such as a string of new airports, city masterplans and universities could all go ahead but might be renegotiated.
Absorbing cultural knowledge whilst sharing contemporary skills and knowledge with a local partner to exploit project opportunities could yield low-risk, reliable-return business for years to come.
A cautionary tale or two of fees remaining unpaid and projects and clients ‘disappearing’ should not be ignored but the bright future that the free republic promises may offer much, much more than dust. If all that state money is actually available to a democratic government, the potential is staggering.
LibyaBuild – after a year’s hiatus – is running again from 20th – 24th May 2012 – www.libyabuild.com
If you’re brave and flexible, willing to innovate in business relationships and happy to take your time, Libya could just make your growth aspirations a reality.
More here: www.libyabuild.com/pdf/lb12_report.pdf
