Tourism and retail are set for a development boom, but leave your tight trousers at home 鈥� and stay off the roads
Who鈥檚 out there
BDP (working there but no office), Buro Happold, Chandler KBS, Day & Johnson, Foster + Partners (working here but no office), Hill International, Keppie, LCE Architects, Mace, MDA Consulting, Mott MacDonald, RMJM, Strabag, and WSP.Who you need to know
The top government client is the Organisation for the Development of Administrative Centres, which handles more building projects than any other department, but other arms of government commissioning building work are the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Infrastructure. Commercial clients include well-known developers from the Gulf such as Emaar and Abu Dhabi鈥檚 Al Maabar, with Nakheel and Aldar understood to be looking at the country.Where the action is
There are three hot spots 鈥� the north-west Mediterranean region around the capital, Tripoli, the eastern-central mountain region and the south-west desert area. In all three, residential, infrastructure and university schemes are under way. The next busy sectors are likely to be tourism and retail, which is where the commercial clients from the Gulf come in 鈥� they are expected to start building in the north-west Mediterranean region. The highest-profile project of this kind to get going so far is Emaar鈥檚 380m m2 Zowara-Abou Kemash mixed-use scheme on the Mediterranean coast, which has been masterplanned.What to do
Libya is a Muslim country, so during Ramadan, respect local customs by not drinking, eating or smoking during daylight hours.What not to do
Drive. One source says, 鈥淭he one thing you don鈥檛 do in Libya is drive. Italy, Dubai, India 鈥� none of them have anything on Libya. The roads are treacherous!鈥�Down time
Visit the famous Roman and Greek ruins at Leptis Magna, Cyrene and Sabratha.Fashion dos and don鈥檛s
Business will go more smoothly for you if you respect local customs. This means covering your shoulders, arms and legs, and avoiding tight-fitting clothes.How far will your money go
Far. Three Libyan dinars (拢1.36) will get you a decent hotel lunch 鈥� but you will have to pay in cash, as cards aren鈥檛 widely accepted.Free and easy
Contrary to what you might think, although the majority of women are veiled, women do not have to wear the hijab.Going down
Sexual relations outside marriage are considered illegal in Libya and punishable in law.Useful phrases
鈥淪top the car, I would rather walk!鈥� More seriously, the official language of Libya is Arabic, but many of the people speak English and some older people still speak Italian.HEALTH & SAFETY
Vaccinations required
No major health risks in Libya, but if you have been in a yellow fever area you will need a vaccination certificate
Foreign Office advice
鈥淪afety and security in Libya is generally good. However, you should be aware of the impact that the situation in Iraq, as well as violence between the Israelis and Palestinians, has had across the Arab world and the risk of public disturbance in response. You should follow news reports and be alert to developments in the Middle East that might trigger public disturbances. You should take sensible precautions for your personal safety and avoid political gatherings and demonstrations.鈥�
鈥淚t is advisable to take extra caution whilst driving at all times.鈥�
Emergency phone number
The British Embassy: 218 21 340 3644/5
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