Schon wieder am Strand

Da postet man einmal eine Woche nichts, und schon kommen die Beschwerden ! Also bitte, dann gibt es nochmals ein Foto vom Strand. Ja, zugegebenermassen, am Wochenende gibt es freizeitmässig nicht allzuviele Alternativen: Die Kinos in die man gehen könnte sind noch nicht gebaut, die Bars und Restaurants scheinen auch noch nciht geöffnet zu haben und in "google" lässt sich auch nicht so wirklich etwas finden.
Naja, auch egal, soplange man Volleyball spielen kann und das Wasser 28° hat ist es ja auch egal ;-)

Garabuli Beach

 Let´s find something positive. Get away form the negative bashing of Libya of the last few days.
The beach.
WONDERFUL !
Especially in Garabuli, one of my favourites. Can only be beaten in Libya by beaches of Burdi (30 km west of the Egyptian border). But lets stay in Garabuli, around 1hr east of Tripoli, shortly before Khoms: You need a good 4x4 such as a Toyota Landcruiser. If you are unlucky to hold an armoured car - forget it. The 3+ tons will get you stuck immediately in the soft, whitish sand. By the way, my Landrover is also not a car to take to the beach. Got stuck already several times in Garabuli. After I got frustrated, I had a driver training from LandRover staff, at the end they said: Take the Landcruiser when you go to the beach...
Once you made it there, you can enjoy the pristine waters of the mediterranean.

Having been dozens of times on Libyan beaches (which, to my opinion, are among the most beautiful beaches of the mediterranean) I am well equipped: Table, umbrella, chairs, football, etc.
And of course you need your own food and drinks. However, these can be bought at the market in Garabuli town.
Surprisingly, the beach is pretty clean. I would say, no difference to two years ago.
It has been argued since many years that Libya has excellent beaches and great antique sites + wonderful desert and great people. If opened for tourism, it would attract many more people than any place in North Africa.  

Foreign companies in Libya in state of shock ?

Foreign companies are very sensitive when it comes to shootings, bombs and especially attacks or happenings in relation with their diplomatic representations. The recent events in Benghazi left many in mayhem and fear. As one person on Twitter wrote it
"Embassies are the last safe haven, a last retreat. If they are attacked, foreigners don't feel safe anymore"
As the protests continued in the Arab world, some companies decided to pull the safety strap and take a short leave back to their homebase, or are thinking of taking their staff temporarily out of Libya. No one who has been in Libya over the last year has decided to leave for good. But a temporarily break, or a long, or not so long, scheduled meeting of all their Libya staff in their home base is a solution some are taking. And US american companies: I think most of them have taken their staff out (anyhow, there were not so many who came back so far).
One person pointed out: "It doesn´t matter so much if foreign companies stay or leave, anyhow they did not have any contracts / work to do."
For most companes this applies, but dont forget that some companies are working already in the elctricity sector (without them, there would not be 2 hrs power cut a day, but 24hrs) and not to forget the oil sector.
In the short run: true, no problem - oil keeps flowing. But over the next few months or even years, production will drop sharply if service in the oil fields can not be done and no new fields can be explored. This is actualy the status for most exploring companies since 1 1/2 years.
Then, fewer income will be generated and the country might slip into chaos.
Already, not so many companies are "flocking" into Libya. And each and every incident leads to a darker picture of the security environment.
I keep a diary, and hardly any day passes without some minor or majour happening. For businesses to return, this must change.
New laws, such as the limitation of foreign ownership to 49% do not encourage companies either.
And of course, the Libyan government must be willing to let foreign companies come to Libya, hence awarding them contracts.
Now a new, elected government is in place. Businesses have the hope that they use their legitimacy to give them a basis for a return.

Idefix

Einige Tiere haben im laufe der Revolution ihre Herrchen verloren. So auch im Falle dieses (welche Rasse ist das jetzt noch schnell?) ... Idefix heisst er jedenfalls und hat die Revolution überstanden. Und hat jetzt ein neues Herrchen. Idefix ist aber zumindestens der Firma treu geblieben, denn das neue Herrchen ist, genauso wie sein Vorgaenger, General Manager einer österreichischen Firma die Wasseraufbereitungsanlagen herstellt.

Das alte Herrchen erkannte Idefix nach der Revolution kaum mehr, er war aus Mangel an artgerechtem Trimmen zu einem Wollknäuel geworden.

Aber jetzt geht es ihm gut. Das kann ich bestätigen.

Chris Stephens

Chris Stephens - a great colleague since 2008.
Rest in Peace....

Luxusmarken erobern Libyen

Mit der neuen Freiheit einher geht auch der Einzug diverser Luxusmarken. InSuara, einer von Berbern dominierten Stadt, ca. 80 km westlich von Tripolis, konnte Chanel gesichtet werden.

Scheinbar ist dort die Kaufkraft sehr hoch, denn es handelt sich um den Flagship Store.

In Tripolis wurde die französische Edelmarke noch nicht gesehen, aber man kann ja am Wochenende einmal zum Shoppen nach Suara fahren.

Security Analysis Libya

 

It is nice to have a hobby. Some people go jogging, others play golf, some go fishing, and others.......
..... study the security situation in Libya.
In this specific case it is Wolfgang Pusztai, an Austrian who used to do analyisis on that subject on a daily basis. I guess I can not say more on that subject, otherwise he would probably have to kill me (joke).

However, now Wolfgang is writing articles for various think-tanks. He has a profound knowledge of the region and has given consent (including the consent of ISPI) that this security analysis can be published on my blog.
By the way: Some of the predictions became true, others might be good to know...

Enjoy reading this otherwise rarely in public seen document. 

Der Sommer ist vorbei

So schnell geht der August vorbei. Uuups, da habe ich tatsächlich keinen einzigen Blogeintrag angefertigt. Naja, Tagestemperaturen über 40 Grad, Stromausfälle und natuerlich einmal Ramadan haben eben ihren Tribut gefordert.
Und der Botschaft wollte ich die Werbewirkung der Stellenanzeie auch nicht nehmen.
Alle Gerüchte werden gleich erwidert, ich bin nicht weg aus Libyen, sondern ganz brav und artig im Dienst. Auch im Büro hat ein gewisses Mass an Normalität begonnen, denn die Strassenkehrer haben wieder ihren Dienst aufgenommen. Kaum zu glauben, aber in unserer Strasse sieht es genauso aus wie vor der Revolution. Aber, das ist nicht überall so !
Was sich sonst so tut, bekommt ihr in den nächsten Tagen zu lesen. Man will ja nichts überstürzen.