Benghazi – September 15, 2026 -- The University of Benghazi reopened all its faculties and facilities on September 4, 2026, after an 11-year closure caused by war damage, following a reconstruction project led by the Libyan Fund for Development and Reconstruction.
Reconstruction took three years to rebuild an integrated university campus
The project, personally overseen by Fund Director-General engineer Belqasim Khalifa Haftar, restored the faculties of engineering, arts, law, science and languages, along with the central library, administrative buildings, laboratories, service facilities, student housing and internal infrastructure.
University serves nearly 100,000 students as one of Libya's oldest institutions
Known as the "Mother of Libyan Universities," the institution has provided free education for decades, training generations of scientists, academics, experts and officials who helped build Libya's state institutions.
Drone show sets three Guinness World Records at inauguration ceremony
The opening ceremony drew Libyan officials, ambassadors, international delegations and roughly 240 foreign guests, led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar and engineer Belqasim Khalifa Haftar. A drone display combined with 3D projection and visual effects produced three Guinness World Records: an eagle-shaped formation, a feather formation spelling "University of Benghazi" in the sky, and a peace symbol formation.
Fund sends over 1,000 students abroad alongside physical rebuild
Beyond the campus reconstruction, the Fund has sponsored more than 1,000 students to study overseas, pairing infrastructure investment with human capital development.
Project is part of a broader 2,300-initiative rebuilding program across eastern and southern Libya
The Benghazi reconstruction forms part of over 2,300 development projects across eastern and southern Libya, which have also restored universities and educational institutions in Kufra, Al Bayda, Derna, Al Marj, Ajdabiya, Sirte, Brak al-Shati and Murzuq, along with roughly 250 schools.
