Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, has directed fresh attention toward revamping the country’s mining industry by calling for urgent reforms, data transparency, and project coordination under the government’s “Reviving Life” initiative. Dbeibah gave the charge while chairing an expanded meeting with the Board of the Libyan Mining Corporation in Tripoli.
At the meeting, held to evaluate progress in restructuring the mining sector, the corporation presented fresh data showing Libya’s massive untapped mineral potential. These include an estimated 3.5 billion tonnes of iron ore in Wadi Al-Shati, with an average concentration rate of 55%, and over one billion tonnes of phosphate in the Murzuq Basin. Experts believe this volume positions Libya as a future powerhouse in North Africa’s mineral supply chain.
Officials at the meeting also noted that extraction of basic materials such as gypsum and limestone is ongoing and mainly used in the construction sector. However, other natural resources, including salt, sulfur, gold, copper, and chromium, remain largely underexplored. The data revealed that with proper investment and modern mining techniques, Libya could attract significant regional and international interest.
Dbeibah said the current opportunity must not be wasted. He instructed the board to immediately create a comprehensive national database for all mineral resources, which he described as key to planning, attracting investment, and ensuring fair licensing practices. He added that a full review of all previous mining licenses must be carried out and the findings forwarded to oversight agencies for further action.
The Prime Minister emphasised that Libya’s mining sector cannot thrive without a clear operational roadmap, one that prioritises key projects based on economic value, location, and national development needs. He called for full cooperation between the Mining Corporation and the Ministries of Economy and Planning, saying that these partnerships are vital to realising the goals of the “Reviving Life” national programme.
Dbeibah also urged the Mining Corporation to build strong technical foundations by investing in local expertise and empowering Libyan professionals to lead mining operations, rather than relying solely on foreign input. He insisted that transparency, environmental sustainability, and public interest must guide all efforts to revive the sector.
Libya, an oil-rich country, has long struggled to diversify its economy beyond petroleum. Years of political instability and conflict have left other industries, including mining, neglected or poorly regulated. With global demand for critical minerals increasing, analysts believe Libya’s untapped reserves could become a fresh revenue stream, but only if supported by proper legal, technical, and environmental frameworks.
According to data presented, Libya’s iron ore reserves in Wadi Al-Shati are among the largest in North Africa, but the country lacks modern infrastructure to support industrial-scale extraction and processing. The same applies to phosphate, a vital material in the production of fertilisers. In global terms, phosphate is a strategic resource, with markets in agriculture, chemicals, and manufacturing.
With neighbouring countries like Egypt and Morocco already investing heavily in mining development, Libya’s push under Dbeibah’s administration is seen as a late but critical move to tap into its natural endowments. International observers note that if handled correctly, Libya could join regional competitors in exporting not just raw materials, but also value-added mineral products.
The meeting ended with a consensus that the Libyan Mining Corporation must take the lead in championing reforms, working closely with regulatory bodies and private stakeholders. The Corporation is also expected to propose a budget for building the mineral resource database and implementing the first phase of identified priority projects.
In a country still recovering from years of unrest, this new focus on mining is seen by some as a potential engine for economic diversification, youth employment, and infrastructure development, especially in the country’s southern and central regions where most mineral reserves are located.
