- The Global Competitive Urban Planning Initiative brings hundreds of international firms to Benghazi from September 6-8, with registrations reaching 93 percent of capacity ahead of a wave of expected partnership agreements.
Benghazi is preparing to host one of Libya's largest international exhibitions on urban development, as the Global Competitive Urban Planning Initiative (GCUPI-B 2026) opens at the city's Exhibition and Conference Centre on 6 September, running through to 8 September.
The three-day event is a flagship initiative of the Fund for Development and Reconstruction of Libya, overseen by engineer Belgasem Khalifa Haftar, the Fund's director general. Organisers say registrations have reached 93 percent of available capacity, drawing hundreds of Libyan and international companies to what is being framed as a central platform for Benghazi's post-conflict rebuilding.
The programme combines a conference, an international exhibition of urban planning and development solutions, and a series of executive review sessions, bringing together multinational firms, urban planners, investors and development specialists to discuss the future shape of Libya's cities. Organisers extended the event's original schedule in response to what they described as strong international interest.
Beyond the exhibition itself, the initiative is designed to function as a deal-making platform, facilitating business-to-business meetings, the formation of consortiums, project presentations and direct discussions between international firms and Libyan decision-makers. The three-day programme is expected to culminate in the signing of memorandums of understanding aimed at deepening cooperation on infrastructure, construction and urban planning, and supporting Benghazi's wider reconstruction effort.
Among the international delegations expected is a 34-company Italian mission comprising 42 participants, organised by the Italian-Libyan Chamber of Commerce. The companies involved include Artelia, Speri, Buro Milan, European Engineering, Pasqualucci Costruzioni, General Smontaggi and Semaforica, alongside firms specialising in technology, healthcare and training, and Niccolò Cusano University.
Companies from Russia, Germany, Britain and Spain are also expected to take part, alongside Libyan firms.
For the Fund, the event serves a dual purpose: showcasing Benghazi's redevelopment priorities to prospective investors and contractors, while positioning the city and Libya more broadly as open for infrastructure and construction partnerships after years of conflict-related damage to housing, heritage sites and public buildings.