Libya’s $2.5 Billion Iron Project Opens New Opportunities for Gulf Trade

A recent Reuters report has brought fresh attention to one of eastern Libya’s most ambitious industrial plans, a large-scale facility near Benghazi led by Ahmed Gadalla that will manufacture lower-emission iron for steelmakers. The Turkish-Libyan partnership behind the project expects to mobilise about $2.5 billion and bring the plant into commercial operation in early 2028. The Reuters report details how the complex is projected to produce more than eight million tonnes of direct reduced iron annually, with an initial stage delivering roughly 2.7 million tonnes. Natural-gas arrangements for that first stage are already secured, and a purpose-built power plant will cover a substantial portion of the site’s electricity needs. Most of the iron is intended for export, while a smaller share will be converted locally into reinforcing bars and pipes. The venture forms part of a broader push to expand non-oil industry along Libya’s Mediterranean shoreline. Its location offers a logistical advantage for deliveries into Europe and Africa, markets where steel producers face rising energy costs and tighter climate rules. Those pressures have grown stronger in 2026. Europe’s carbon border levy is now in its definitive phase, increasing the importance of emissions in decisions about imported iron and steel. At the same time, the United States under the Trump administration continues to shield its domestic steel industry with Section 232 tariffs of 50 percent on most primary steel products and 25 percent on many derivatives. As a result, alternative export markets are becoming increasingly important for international producers. Disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz have added uncertainty for traditional Middle Eastern suppliers. Against that backdrop, the gas-based iron plant described by Reuters offers European mills a potential alternative source outside the most troubled Gulf shipping lanes. Ahmed Gadalla, chairman of the joint venture Tosyali Sulb, is quoted in the Reuters report pointing to Europe’s environmental requirements as a key commercial opportunity. Whether the Benghazi facility captures a meaningful share of that market will depend on construction progress, Libya’s internal political climate and the final details of Europe’s carbon rules. For Gulf businesses, the project could create opportunities in industrial investment, energy infrastructure, shipping and logistics while strengthening commercial ties with North Africa. Its scale, location and planned production capacity place it at the intersection of American protectionism, Europe’s carbon border rules and the search for secure supply chains.

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Gulf Today - Business · Business News

Published

17th October 2026

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gulftoday.ae

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