Around 150 local and international companies are expected at Tripoli's 8 to 11 November 2026 construction exhibition. An architecture forum, an ODAC-backed schools initiative and current public tenders could bring suppliers into contact with Libyan agencies, but attendance alone does not guarantee contracts.
Tripoli International Fair is scheduled to host the 9th Libya Construction Exhibition from 8 to 11 November 2026. Around 150 companies are expected, including approximately 80 Libyan firms and more than 70 international exhibitors. The Libyan Businessmen Council's event listing describes the fair as a place for suppliers, contractors, engineering offices and buyers to meet.
The event is also meant to connect suppliers with Libyan public agencies involved in construction and infrastructure. Firms from Tunisia and Egypt are among the expected participants, alongside exhibitors from Italy, Türkiye, India, China, the UAE and South Korea. The mix gives the fair a North African and wider Mediterranean reach. No deal is assured.
The official sponsor, the Organisation for the Development of Administrative Centres, or ODAC, manages or maintains public works across Libya. Its work includes housing, schools, hospitals and administrative buildings. ODAC is described as a multi-billion organisation. A separate sign of current public-sector demand appears in the Libyan Businessmen Council's public tender catalogue. On 26 September, the catalogue listed ODAC tender ODAC-BGN-09-26 for construction and fit-out of an administrative building in Benghazi. Bids were due by 16:00 on 2 October. This tender is a separate procurement process. It does not show that the exhibition has secured work.
ADD Events CEO Ghaleb Gheblawi said nine countries will be represented: Libya, Italy, Türkiye, Tunisia, Egypt, India, China, the UAE and South Korea. He said the largest international delegations will each include 20 companies from Italy, Türkiye and Egypt, followed by 16 companies from Tunisia. In a separate development, Libya Herald reported in September that Tripoli International Fair had discussed increasing Italian company participation. An Italian Pavilion was planned for a November Libya construction expo. The report also said the Italian Trade Agency and Embassy of Italy were promoting trade links through events in sectors that include construction. Those are separate developments.
Libyan bodies due to take part include the Ministry of Water Resources and its affiliated entities, the Savings and Real Estate Investment Bank, and the Tripoli City Development Authority. Gheblawi said organisers expect these institutions to meet international suppliers, Libyan developers and contractors. A similar focus on finding business partners appeared at an Istanbul expo in this report on Libyan partner-seeking. The two events are distinct.
The programme will include an Architecture and Design Forum, with panels and keynote speakers from Italy, Malta and Egypt. The exhibition will also introduce Schools of the Future, an initiative backed by ODAC. It will focus on the design, construction and fitting out of modern schools. The initiative is new.
Its scope covers sustainable buildings, classroom furniture, laboratories, smart learning technology, safety systems and energy efficiency. The initiative aims to connect public authorities with specialist firms and support safer, better-equipped learning environments.
The exhibition's value will depend on whether meetings between agencies and companies lead to procurement or project steps, especially in schools and other civic infrastructure. The expected attendance and programme show plans for business engagement, not contracts or completed work. For now, the fair is a place for potential partners to meet. Procurement outcomes remain uncertain.
