First trade mission after security alert

Austria first again. After weeks of uncertainty, security warnings and airlines not flying to Tripoli, we managed to be the first country having a trade mission afer the happenings. The outcome was very positive, almost everybody was surprised how calm and smooth everything went. Those who have deals in the private sector were definitely more happy than those companies who deal mostly with the government, as public projects are still halted. However, today our trade mission is over. After four days full of meetings the participants are mostly on their way back to Vienna (some decided to extend their stay). Our next event will be the group stand at Libya Build in May 2013. The floor is open for other countries to come.

Abdul Gerdschi

Na da schau Dir das einmal an:
Da kommt gestern der Josef Famler von der VAOS und bringt doch glatt einen neuen libyschen Geschäftspartner mit. So dachten wir zumindestens, als wir das erste mal hinsahen.  Es kam meinen Gästen und mir dann aber doch ein wenig eigenartig vor, dass er nahezu ohne Akzent deutsch sprach. Der Akzent stellte sich dann nicht als "arabisch" heraus, sondern war reinstes oberösterreicherisch.
Ist halt einfach jetzt gerade mega-in sich so einen Bart wachsen zu lassen. Dann noch ein wenig  von den Taten die man in der Revolution vollbracht hat, erzaehlen, und man ist dabei.
Und der "Gesuchte" ist ?
Also meine lieben Leser. Mal sehen wer ein echter Libyen Exprte ist ! Alle Antworten sind willkommen.

Recently in Mansur

Just a short notice and a nice pic from a walk through the Mansur quarter in Tripoli before my trade mission arrives with Austrian Airlines ! (yes, they resumed flying yesterday)

http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/02/23/austrian-trade-delegation-to-visit-tripoli-25-28-february/

Lufthansa bleibt am Boden

Hat die Lufthansa da die Rechnung ohne den Wirt gemacht ?
Gestern blieb jedenfalls der Kranich am Boden und flog nicht über das Mittelmeer in die Wüstenmetropole. Der Libya Herald hatte dies auch schon näher analysiert und glaubt, dass es noch länger dauern wird bis Lufthansa und Austrian Airlines wieder in Tripolis landen werden.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/02/21/lufthansa-and-austrian-refused-permission-to-return-to-libya/
So pessimistisch wollen wir dann doch nicht sein, und hoffen, dass am Sonntag der Flugebtrieb von Austrian Airlines wieder aufgenommen wird.
Der ursprüngliche Plan, am 20.2. wieder zu fliegen, konnte wegen formeller Hindernisse nicht wiederaufgenommen werden.

French Dinner in Tripoli

It is a tough life in Tripoli these days. Especially when you get invited by some "Frenchies" to a dinner party.
Those who are not french, are forced to wave the big french tricolore at the entrance. Well, at least then you know what to expect:
Tasty, grilled french cheese. Stinky but delicious. French red grape served by great hosts.

Though everything was very well planned, we, the guests, were missing something. The hosts got somehow surprised by our demand for napkins, but after some seconds in disbelief, one of them ran to the toilet and came up with a roll of toilet paper.
Bon appetit! 

Austrian Airlines resuming flights to Tripoli

Mabrouk !

Austrian Airlines decided today to resume their flights to Tripoli as of tomorrow, 20 February 2013. Flights were suspended for a period of two weeks because of security reasons.
So gone are the hour of waiting at Istanbul Atatürk airport (though: GREAT lounge with Do&Co catering), or hoping your luggage will make it through Rome Fiumecino.
Flights will take off five times a week, Sunday to Thursday, leaving Vienna 9.55 arriving Tripoli 12.45. Leaving from Tripoli 13:50, arriving Vienna 16:45.
From there you can continue to many destinations worldwide.
Did you know that through Vienna you have the fastest connection to London (except the direct flight)?

Now comes the bad news: Prices are -like with all other airlines - rocket high. However, only swimming is cheaper....
You don´t need to got to their ticket office in Bur Tarabulus, 2nd floor, you can also book and purchase your ticket online on www.austrian.com and select "libya" as your home country.

And a last good news: Austrian Airlines promised not to take out randomly flights in the future.
Thank you ! 

Revolution Anniversary Celebrations in Tripoli

 What an evening and night. 17 February, the anniversary of the day when everything started in 2011. It actually started already on February 15 in Benghazi, but we don´t want to be picky now.
Thousands of cars poured into the center when night fell over Tripoli. Most famous neighbourhoods where people said that the mood was best were Fashloum, Dahra and Souq Jouma, but in principle the whole city was a party place.

One Libyan told me he thinks there are "at least 50 million cars" out tonight, but I doubt that figure a bit ;-)
Old and young, men and women, beautiful and ugly - everybody   was on the streets.
Especially at checkpoints the crowd went wild, got out of their cars, started dancing, waving the flags, singing and chanting.
 

I had one person telling me on Twitter that on 1 July 2011 the crowd was definitely bigger and more people were out. Well, maybe, I cannot tell, as I was in Tripoli only July 20. But I can tell  one big difference from the "Green" parties to the ones  you see these days:

It´s the huge smile on peoples faces....

Congratulations, Libya, on your revolution day !

Congratulations to Libya and its people for the anniversary of the revolution. And what a revolution it was ! For those of you who have tuned in only later on, just have a look at this video.

I think it says everything about how the uprising was fought. 

And won.... 

Happy Valentine´s Day !

(no, this photo was not taken in Libya ;-)

Restitution of Houses

In our neighbourhood about half of all houses are currently un-inhabited. Deserted and left alone. Their owners were part of the regime (like one of our direct neighbours, the former Minister of health), or had one of their relatives very close to the regime.
Like the house of Jaluds son, which you can see on the first pictures. People have sprayed on the walls of the houses either revolutionary slogans or indications of whom the house belongs to.

I guess this will still be a lot of discussions between current owners of houses, the former owners (until they got expropriated in the 70ies) and in many cases a lot of heirs.
Already before the revolution a restitution plan was elaborated, but no action was taken.
I guess it is not getting any easier. 

Die Leere des Anfangs, FAZ

Selten gibt es wirklich gute, die Situation treffend beschreibende Artikel über Libyen.
Die Frankfurter Allgemeine hat sich mit dem Artikel über den Torusimus in Libyen, einem Land für das die meisten Länder eine Reisewarnung ausgesprochen haben, und wo es (derzeit) kein Tourismusvisum gibt, selbst übertroffen.
Lesenswert !
Hier gehts zur "Leere des Anfangs"
http://www.faz.net/aktuell/reise/fern/libyen-die-leere-des-anfangs-12048497.html 

No more Lufthansa Group flights to Tripoli

Luckily Civil Aviation of Libya and the Airport Authority will not have to wonder anymore whether Austrian Airlines flight arrives from Frankfurt, Vienna or Dubai.

"Cling together, swing together" means also that in difficult times decisions are being respected by the whole group.

Therefore, as of tuesday Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa stopped flying to Tripoli.

In the following you can read the press release by the Austrian Press Agency.
Yesterday afternoon Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa reaffirmed the suspension of flights and prolonged it until February 19 (inclusive).

And the lucky winner ? Turkish Airlines, which must be making the business of their life. However, they were flying already in November 2011 into Tripoli (Maitiga airport) when RPGs and bullets were still flying low in town.

APA0419 5 AI 0191 WI/CI                               Di, 05.Feb 2013

Luftfahrt/Libyen

AUA stellt Flüge nach Libyen wegen Sicherheitslage ein

Utl.: Flüge auf unbestimmte Zeit ausgesetzt - Auch Lufthansa fliegt

      Tripolis vorerst nicht mehr an =

   Tripolis/Schwechat/Köln (APA) - Die Austrian Airlines (AUA), Tochtergesellschaft der deutschen Lufthansa, werden die libysche Hauptstadt Tripolis auf unbestimmte Zeit nicht mehr anfliegen. AUA-Pressesprecherin Patricia Stampfer bestätigte diese Information gegenüber der APA. Grund dafür ist die anhaltend schlechte Sicherheitslage. Das österreichische Außenministerium warnt weiterhin vor Reisen nach Libyen. Zeitgleich stellte auch die Lufthansa ihre Flüge nach Tripolis ein, meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters.

   Die AUA hatte nach dem Sturz des früheren libyschen Machthabers Muammar al-Gaddafi, Ende 2011, die Flüge nach Libyen im März 2012 wieder aufgenommen. Bereits im Juni 2012 musste der Flugverkehr aber wieder für mehr als eine Woche eingestellt werden, nachdem bewaffnete Milizen den Flughafen besetzt hatten.

   Eine Gruppe ehemaliger libyscher Revolutionsaktivisten hatte Anfang des Jahres über das soziale Netzwerk Facebook zu einer "neuen Revolution" aufgerufen. Die Protestaktionen sollten am 15. Februar beginnen und sich gegen die "legalen und illegalen Milizen, die sich Revolutionäre nennen" und gegen die Muslimbrüder richten. Am 15. Februar 2011 hatte der Aufstand gegen Gaddafi begonnen.

A normal day in Paradise

Log for Tuesday, 5 March 2013

7.00: waking up by the sound of some incoming sms
7.50: Telephone call of a GM of an oil company calls me about the news that Austrian Airlines suspended flights to Tripoli
8.05: Call from a GM of an Austrian subsidiary in building materials, same subject
8.10: grabbing some breakfast while talking on the phone with more Austrian GMs about flight suspension
8.30: I finally manage to bind my shoes and jump into the car to drive to work, A lot of traffic again. With normal traffic I can be in the office in 20 minutes. Today it takes again a bit over an hour.
9.30: Answering many emails
10.30: The General Manager of the Libyan Union Chamber of Commerce calls to tell us that instead of him coming to our office, we should come to his office.
11.00: Driving to the center of town to the meeting
11.30: Mr.Idriss from the Chamber of Commere receives my colleague and me, tells us how good relationships between Austria and Libya are and how important the friendship and exchange of opinions between countries are. For a short time I think I am in the wrong year.
12.00: Short visit to the Libyan Textile and Fashion fair. 90% Turkish companies. Not so many visitors, maybe too early.
12.30: Driving back to the office where a libyan businessman waits already for me. He is looking for business opportunities. Tells me that if I need anything, he knows people up to the Prime Minister, he can help.
13.00: Trying to find another way of flying to Austria. Another Austrian General Manager sent one of his guys to Turkish office, tells me mayhem has broken out there. Hardly any places left, prices rocket high.

13.15: I open a tuna can, want to eat it with bread, while my assistant tells me the son of our neighbour goes wild about our car.

I get out of the office, he completely freaks out, tells me/us we are not allowed to park our car and kicks it strongly several times with his feet.
13.30: Ongoing (loud) discussion with the brother of the crazy guy who kicked our car (and after doing so ran away)
14.00: finishing the rest of my tuna. High on adrenaline. I can see my libyan colleague is boiling...
14.15: Continuous phone calls/e-mails, today mostly about security and our planned trade mission
14.45: We go again to our neighbour to see if the father of the delinquent is home (negative)
15.00: I hear an explosion somewhere in the background, I tell myself it´s too far away as to be a real threat.
15.15: The father of our neighbour comes to the office, apologises for his son. We explain him that the last time (a month ago) he wanted to attack one of our staff with a big knife.
The father (Haj) asks us not to do anything this time, he will take care of the issue (and pay our damage).
16.00: Trying to finish an e-mail to all Austrian subsidiaries and another one to the participants of our trade mission. Cancelling a meeting at the new Fourpoints Sheraton, because emails are priority.
17.45: It starts getting dark, I should get home.  Anyhow, since two months, every after 17.30 LTT  (Libyan Telekom) switches off Internet (strike measure). I still try to send the last few invoices for he year and balance to Vienna, but I am too late.
Luckily the dinner meeting at the Corinthia is cancelled because the Austrian businessmen did not arrive today (remember? flights cancelled...)
18.00: On the way home, talking to an Austrian company which is having a case at court with a Libyan company. The (prominent) Libyan lawyer keeps telling since two years that next week everything i settled. Charges in the meantime EUR 2.000 / day of work. What to do ?
18.30: It took only 45 minutes to get home. I find out my neighbour has not, as promised four times already, moved his truck which is blocking my entrance.
I shortly think of driving to the gym at Palm City but in the end feel too lazy for it.

Luckily electricity is quite stable recently, so I don´t freeze too much at home anymore and I can read / watch TV.

I hope tomorrow will become at least as interesting as today !

Advantage Austria

Die beiden Bilder unterscheiden sich in einem kleinen Detail. Erkennen Sie den Unterschied ?

 

Genau, das Türschild war es. War doch nicht schwer, oder ?
Da wir uns von "Aussenwirtschaft Österreich" auf "Aussenwirtschaft Austria" bzw. "Adavantage Austria" im Ausland umbenannt haben, wurde auch ein neues Türschild fällig.
Naja, eigentlich hätte ich es schon bei meiner Übersiedlung nach Tripolis im Jahr 2007 mitnehmen sollen, so kam es eben jetzt, vor wenigen Wochen (oder waren es gar Monate?), per diplomatischen Kurier.
Da haben wir vielleicht blöd geschaut, als auf einmal aus einer Holzkiste das neue Schild strahlte !

Und dann Anfang dieser Woche das:
Ein email von der Verwaltungsabteilung (heisst nicht so, aber tut ja jetzt nichts zur Sache) mit folgendem Wortlaut:

Bitte um Einsendung von Fotos des montierten Schildes an aussenwirtschxxxxxxx.

Na Hallo ?
Ich meine...
ääähhh
unglaublich
sprachlos

Glaubt man da echt in Wien, wir haben das Schild, auf das wir jahrelang sehnsüchtig gewartet haben, und das nun endlich in Tripolis eingetroffen ist, so einfach in die Ecke gestellt ?
Oder vielleicht gar nicht einmal ausgepackt ?
Und beim Aufwischen im Büro fast umgestossen ?

Also wirklich.....

....manchmal frage ich mich, wieso man uns in Wien so gut kennt ;-)

Aber schön ist es geworden, nicht wahr ?

Traineeprogramm der Aussenwirtschaft Austria

Also jetzt einmal Hand aus Herz: Wer wollte nicht immer schon einmal in einer libyschen Provinzstadt (Suara) einen Schnappschuss mit einer Gruppe von Freunden machen und dabei eine alte Winchester in der Hand halten ?

Oder für österreichische Firmen vorbei an unzähligen Checkpoints in der Hafenstadt Misurata nachsehen, ob das von der VOESt errichtete Stahlwerk wieder seinen Betrieb aufgenommen hat.

Oder im tiefsten Afrika unweit der Hauptstadt Bangui (Zentralafrikanische Republik, die gibt es wirklich...) ein Kraftwerk aufsuchen um festzustellen ob Bedarf für Turbinen aus Österreich besteht.

Oder in Nordschweden bei -20 Grad mit einem Volvo vorbei an Elchen und Rentieren zu einem Vortrag in die Stadt Lulea fahren.

Oder mit dem Eigentümer einer österreichischen Brauerei in Camaguey (Kuba) einen neuen Produktionsstandort erkunden.

Oder einmal den eigenen Namen in Tageszeitungen mit schön ausgeschmückten Worten lesen. Oder gar Armin Wolf in der ZIB2 Rede und Antwort stehen.

Oder in Belize mit einem Linienflugzeug auf eine Insel fliegen um im Auftrag einer österreichischen Firma Lokalaugenschein einer verdorbenen Käselieferung aus dem Ländle durchzuführen.

Das wäre was, oder ?
Und dafür auch noch bezahlt bekommen ?
Ja, das gibt es !
Wie, wann, wo, werden Sie sich jetzt fragen....
Bewerben Sie sich für das heuer startende Traineeprogramm bei der Aussenwirtschaft Austria.
Nach zwei Jahren Pause startet heuer wieder eines.

Habe ich Ihr Interesse geweckt ?

Dann sehen Sie sich doch die Details unter

http://portal.wko.at/wk/format_detail.wk?angid=1&stid=576642&dstid=670

nach und werden Sie schon bald mein Kollege.

Gulfood 2013, Dubai

Nice design, isn´t it ?
This is what you will get if you visit the Austrian pavillion at Gulfood 2013 in Dubai.
Clear, modern and surprisingly ingenious design paired with great companies from Austria.
Many Libyans travel to Dubai as local fairs do not cover all sectors.
If you plan to travel t the Gulf between 25-28 February, don´t miss to visit the Austrian exhibitors there:

http://www.advantageaustria.org/ly/events/GULFOOD_2013.en.html

If it´s February, it´s Austrian Airlines

Finally, this long January with its 31 days has come to an end. I can turn over the page to the next month in the Lufthansa group calendar and see Austrian Airlines 777 gliding over the alps.
Too bad February has only 28 days...
Austrian Airlines are flying 5 times a week from Vienna to Tripoli and nearly always returns the same day. If it desn´t get stopped by militias at the tarmac. Or if snow storms hinder it from taking off from Vienna.
But wait, since a couple of months, they are cancelling  flights on the Tripoli route.
Just like that.
Not too often, but lets say, once to twice a month.
But don´t worry, you will notice it the latest when you arrive at the airport and the friendly airport staff tells you:
"Today mafish Austrian" (Today no Austrian)
Luckily there is Lufthansa flying every day.
Without cancelling flights randomly.

By intense spying I found out about the next cancelled plane already one week in advance !!

So watch out, February 7 flight to Tripoli is cancelled.