Can Misrata Become a Gateway for Italian Investment in Libya?
Around 60 Italian companies and institutions have gathered in Misrata for a Libyan-Italian business forum, as both countries seek to expand trade, industrial cooperation and investment.
The Libyan-Italian Business and Investment Forum 2026 opened on November 1, bringing together companies from trade, energy, technology, shipbuilding and industry. The Misrata Free Zone organized the event with the Libyan-Italian Chamber of Commerce.
The forum comes as Libya seeks to attract more foreign investment and develop its industrial base beyond oil. For Misrata, the opportunity extends beyond attracting Italian businesses. Its port and free zone could help position the city as a logistics and manufacturing center linking European and African markets.
According to Libya Herald, the program includes meetings between businesses, visits to Libyan companies and institutions, and cooperation agreements.
Misrata’s port and free zone attract Italian interest
The Misrata Free Zone sits at the center of the investment push. Its location, port infrastructure and access to regional markets give it potential to attract companies looking for a base for trade, logistics and industrial activity.
The Italian delegation includes companies involved in construction, infrastructure, energy, logistics, transport, engineering and healthcare. Major participants include engineering and infrastructure group Renco, shipbuilding company Fincantieri and shipping group Grimaldi.
The mission also includes plans for closer cooperation between Misrata and Sicilian ports. An agreement involving the Western Sicily Port System Authority could strengthen commercial connections between the two sides of the Mediterranean.
The initiative follows a July presentation in Rome, where more than 140 representatives of Italian companies explored opportunities in the Misrata Free Zone. Around 250 Libyan companies were also expected to meet the Italian delegation during the forum.
These contacts could help turn business interest into commercial partnerships, industrial projects and new supply-chain links.
Trade growth creates an opportunity, but investment needs more than agreements
Italy already holds a central position in Libya’s external trade. Bilateral trade reached approximately €3.63 billion in the first four months of 2026, an increase of 29.5% compared with the same period last year, according to Italian news agency Agenzia Nova.
The challenge now is to convert that trade relationship into longer-term investment inside Libya.
Misrata has an opportunity to move beyond its role as an entry point for imported goods. With investment in manufacturing, storage, transport and industrial services, the free zone could help Libyan businesses produce goods for domestic consumption and export markets.
But infrastructure and geographic location alone will not attract sustained investment. Foreign companies also need predictable regulations, reliable access to foreign currency, efficient customs procedures and clear rules for operating in Libya.
The government and the Misrata Free Zone must also ensure that cooperation agreements lead to funded projects, local employment and technology transfer.
For Libya, the forum offers an opportunity to deepen one of its most important European trade relationships. For Misrata, the bigger test is whether it can turn that relationship into an industrial and logistics hub that creates value inside the country rather than simply moving imported goods through its port.
