Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah opened the sixth edition of the Africa Building and Construction Equipment Exhibition in Misrata on Saturday, positioning the event as a signal of renewed private sector confidence in a country still working to recover from years of conflict.
The four-day trade fair, known as AFRIBAT 2026, runs through Tuesday at the Misrata International Fairgrounds and is jointly organized by the Misrata Chamber of Commerce and its counterpart, the Sfax Chamber of Commerce (Tunisia). The partnership underlines a growing cross-border economic relationship between Libya and Tunisia in the construction sector.
The exhibition draws companies from China, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Türkiye, Italy, Greece and Ghana, alongside more than 25 Tunisian firms and over 70 Libyan companies. The breadth of participation reflects sustained international interest in Libya’s infrastructure and reconstruction market.
Speaking at the opening, Dbeibah described the construction and building sector as “one of the key drivers of development and reconstruction efforts in the country.” Minister of Housing and Construction Issam Al-Tamouni said the government is pressing ahead with smart city projects in partnership with the private sector, with construction and reconstruction forming the central priority.
Abubakr Shanab, Director General of the Misrata Chamber of Commerce, said the exhibition is “a strategic opportunity to strengthen communication between Libyan companies and their international counterparts, opening new horizons for investment and the transfer of expertise.” He added that business-to-business meetings and a specialized economic forum are among the accompanying events designed to advance partnership opportunities.
The fair covers construction equipment, building materials, ceramics, steel and modern construction technologies. Misrata, a Mediterranean coastal city roughly 187 kilometres east of the capital, Tripoli, has increasingly positioned itself as a hub for Libya’s post-conflict economic activity.
