Menfi Joins African Business Forum as Libya Looks to Expand Trade and Investment Links
Libya is looking to strengthen its economic ties with the rest of Africa as African leaders and business executives gather in Egypt to discuss trade, investment and economic integration.
Presidential Council President Mohamed Menfi attended the opening of the first Alamein Africa Business Forum in New Alamein on October 3, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and other African leaders. The forum brought together governments, investors, financial institutions and major companies to discuss how to increase trade and investment across the continent.
For Libya, the meeting comes at a useful time. The country sits between North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Sahel, giving it potential to play a larger role in regional trade and transport. But turning that geography into an economic advantage will require better infrastructure, more predictable regulations and stronger links between Libyan businesses and African markets.
Africa’s trade push creates an opportunity for Libya
The forum focused heavily on implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), developing transport and logistics networks, improving cross-border trade and attracting investment into infrastructure, manufacturing, energy and other growth sectors.
That agenda matters to Libya because much of the country’s economic activity remains concentrated around oil. Greater integration with African markets could create opportunities beyond crude exports, particularly in logistics, construction, agriculture, energy services and trade.
Libya also has an underused geographic advantage. Its Mediterranean ports provide a potential link between European markets and countries further south, while its borders connect it directly to the wider North African and Sahelian economies.
The challenge is that geography alone does not create a regional trade hub. Businesses need reliable roads, ports, customs systems, payment channels and rules that allow goods and capital to move efficiently across borders. This is where the forum’s focus on development corridors and logistics connectivity becomes particularly relevant for Libya.
From political participation to economic engagement
Menfi’s participation also comes as Libya seeks to deepen its engagement with African institutions. The country has recently moved to strengthen its relationship with the African Union, including the reopening of the AU Liaison Office in Tripoli and preparations for Libya to host the upcoming Africa-Türkiye summit.
The broader direction is important. Libya has often approached Africa through political and security issues, but there is room for a stronger economic relationship built around trade, investment and infrastructure.
The Alamein forum offers a platform for that shift. Egypt intends for the forum to become a permanent biennial African business gathering, bringing governments, companies and financial institutions together to develop cross-border partnerships and move investment projects forward.
For Libya, the opportunity will depend on what happens after the meetings. Participation in African forums can raise Libya’s profile, but attracting investment and increasing trade will require projects that investors can actually finance and execute.
That means improving the business environment at home while identifying areas where Libya can offer something to the wider African market. Oil and gas will remain central to the Libyan economy, but the country’s longer-term economic position could also depend on how effectively it connects its energy sector, ports, infrastructure and private businesses to regional markets.
The message from Alamein is therefore relevant beyond the forum itself: Africa is trying to move from plans for economic integration toward practical projects, and Libya has an opportunity to be part of that process.
