Flemish companies have been active in Libya in recent years, either directly involved in oil extraction or with infrastructure projects in relation to the oil industry. Dredging company Deme, based in Zwijndrecht, Antwerp province, for instance, helped deepen the approaches and the harbour at the port of Misrata (pictured).
Similarly, Frisomat of Wijnegem, also in Antwerp province and specialised in steel constructions, helped build the Great Manmade River, an underground network of water pipes. Last year, Belgium as a whole exported €226 million in goods and services to Libya, but since the start of the uprising against the government of Muammar Gaddafi, most international activity has stopped.
The information day will target those companies with their eyes on a revived Libyan market, including Antwerp shipping agent Neptumar, construction group Besix and energy group Fabricom. However, it will also be of interest to companies in less obvious sectors, such as yeast manufacturer Algist Bruggeman, which sells flour, sugar and rice in Libya.
And Cavalier chocolate maker, based in Eeklo, East Flanders, is a major supplier of sugar-free chocolate via Dubai to Libya. In Libya, as in many other parts of North Africa, diabetes is a leading cause of death.
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