Second Libyan-American Development and Reconstruction Forum opens in Benghazi

The second Libyan-American Development and Reconstruction Forum opened in Benghazi with an emphasis on turning international interest into projects on the ground. Belgasem Haftar, director general of the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund, inaugurated the event alongside the chairman and members of the Libyan-American Business Council and representatives of American companies.

The forum focused on opportunities for US expertise to enter key development sectors and for American firms to form partnerships with Libyan companies and professionals. The discussions came against the backdrop of large projects under way or planned in Benghazi and other Libyan cities.

Haftar stressed that the forum should move beyond simply presenting opportunities. Proposed cooperation, he said, must become tangible programmes and projects that improve services, transfer knowledge and build national capacity.

The Fund said the second edition demonstrated its commitment to expanding international partnerships and using specialized expertise to support Libya’s next phase of development and reconstruction.

The USLBA business delegation arrived in Benghazi even as the US State Department renewed its highest-level travel advisory for Libya. Updated on August 31, 2026, the advisory keeps the country at Level 4, the most severe designation. It advises people who travel despite the warning to prepare a will and end-of-life instructions, designate insurance beneficiaries and draft a power of attorney. The contrast between the warning and the presence of US company personnel in Benghazi raises questions about how closely the advisory reflects conditions on the ground.