In an important step signaling renewed international engagement with Libya, GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dabaiba and World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Othman Dione, announced plans Tuesday to reopen the World Bank’s country office in Tripoli, ending a seven-year closure that began in 2019.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting at the GNU headquarters in Tripoli, attended by Libya’s Finance Minister Khaled Al-Mabrouk, senior government officials, and key World Bank representatives.
Discussions centered on advancing the Bank’s initiatives to support Libya’s digital transformation, a priority aimed at enhancing governmental transparency, streamlining public service delivery, and curbing bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Notable attendees included Mustafa Al-Manea, head of the Executive Team for Presidential Initiatives and Strategic Projects, alongside Farid Belhaj, the World Bank’s Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Jesko Hentschel, Director for the Maghreb and Malta at the World Bank, and Sérgio Pimenta, IFC Regional Vice President for Africa.
