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Doing business & staying in touch

Shirt sleeves are acceptable business wear in hot weather. Suits and ties are worn for more formal occasions. Most business dealings take place with state organisations and English is often understood. It is, however, government policy for official documents to be in Arabic (or translated into Arabic) and for official business to be conducted in Arabic. Business visitors need to be fully prepared for this. Appointments are necessary and business cards are useful, though not widely used. Hours for businesses and government offices fluctuate, but the working day starts early.

Office hours: 

Sat-Wed 0700-1400 (summer) and 0800-1600 (winter). Private businesses and shops operate differently and are usually open later. During Ramadan, working hours are different and businesses are usually opened after sunset.

Economy: 

Revenues from the oil industry account for the bulk of Libya's economy - about 95% of export earnings, around 25% of GDP, and 60% of public sector wages. Substantial revenues from the energy sector coupled with a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of this income reaches the lower orders of society.

Improvements came after UN sanctions were lifted in 2003 as Libya announced that it would abandon plans to build weapons of mass destruction. Almost all USA sanctions against Libya were removed in 2004, helping Libya attract more foreign direct investment, mostly in the energy sector.

Libya's biggest challenge is to liberalise the socialist-oriented economy. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food.

Unemployment stood at 30% in 2004, while inflation in 2008 was estimated at 10.5% and growth at 6.3%.

GDP: 

US$108.5 billion (2008).

Main exports: 

Crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and chemicals.

Main imports: 

Machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment and consumer products.

Main trading partners: 

Italy, Germany, Spain, USA and Tunisia.

Telephone: 

International calls can be made from Internet cafes and telephone offices, readily available in main towns.

Mobile phone: 

Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited to Tripoli and the surrounding towns.

Internet: 

There are Internet cafes in Tripoli and other main towns.

Post: 

Postal services are available in all main towns. Mail to Europe takes approximately one week, and to North America or Australia, one-two weeks. The main post office in Tripoli is on Maidan al-Jezayir.

Post office hours: 

Post office (main) hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-2230; smaller offices' hours are usually Sat-Thurs 0800-1300 and 1700-2000.

Media: 

The state owns and controls all the media. Criticism of government policies is not allowed. Foreign press has recently been allowed in after a long absence.

Press: 

There are several newspapers and periodicals. The main dailies are Al-Fajir al-Jadid and Az-zahf al-Akhdar.

Television: 

Great Jamahiriyah TV is state-run and is available terrestrially and via satellite.

Radio: 

Great Jamahiriyah Radio is state-run. Voice of Africa is a state-run service, broadcasting in Arabic, English and French.

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