the craziest car accident in Libya

This is really the craziest accident I have ever seen in Libya, it shows how driving in Libya is becoming increasingly dangerous.
I do not know what happened to the taxi driver and if he had a passenger sitting next to him. God knows what went wrong and what might happen to him.
I presume he was speeding as Libyans usually do especially younger one. Let’s hope is not in a serious condition

Libya fund eyeing stake in Italy's Enel - WSJ

Libya's sovereign wealth fund may take a stake in Italian power company Enel SpA (ENEI.MI) as part of the utility's planned capital hike, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

In an interview, Chief Executive Fulvio Conti said the Libyan Investment Authority had expressed interest in taking a minority stake.

The fund could either buy shares in the open market or subscribe to an 8 billion euro ($10.9 billion) capital increase that Enel is planning in order to cut its debt, the newspaper quoted Conti as saying.

"We would welcome their ideas. It is premature to say how much and if and when they would participate," he said.

Hafed Gaddur, Libya's ambassador to Italy, told the newspaper Conti had travelled to Libya a week ago to make a presentation to the head of the fund.

"We are evaluating it. No decision has been made," he was quoted as saying. ($1=.7336 Euro)

Source: MILAN, May 13 (Reuters)

2009 International Quality Conference kicks off in Tripoli.

The 6th International Quality Conference for 2009 began in Tripoli on Monday under the theme "Quality Basis for the Promotion of Competitiveness".

Expert and specialists from Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Emirates in addition to Great Jamahiriya are taking part in the conference.

The conference is being organized by the National Center for Specifications and Standards in collaboration with the GPC for Planning and Finance and the Libyan Quality Association.

For two days, the conference will discuss more than 16 scientific research papers that deals with four main topics, which in general focuses on general concept for building competitiveness, examples for enhancing Libyan institutions' competitiveness, Arab, African and international experience and quality infrastructure and its role in enhancing competiveness.

The conference aims at popularizing competitiveness conception for service and production institutes, benefiting from experiences of other nations in enhancing competitiveness and setting up a national strategy to enhance competitiveness.

Source: Jana

Medco seeks $275m in loans to finance oil field in Libya.

Publicly listed PT Medco Energi International is seeking as much as US$275 million worth of loans to develop its oil block in Libya.

Medco project director Lukman Mahfoedz said the so-called Area 47 project in Libya would cost $800 million for facility construction and $300 million for development.

“Of the total cost of US$ 1.1 billion, Medco will only contribute 25 percent,” he said.

Medco president director Darmoyo Doyoatmojo said he was optimistic the company would secure the required loans.

“Once a reserve has been found, the project’s risk will be very small,” he said, adding Medco had talked with several banks about loans.

Area 47 is estimated to have contingent reserves of 307 million barrels of oil. Under the production sharing agreement, Medco and partner Canada-based Verenex jointly own 13.7 percent of the reserve, while Libya’s National Oil Company owns the remaining 86.3 percent once the block starts production.

Verenex is currently trying to sell its stake in the block, with Indonesian state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina reportedly looking to acquire the stake.

Darmoyo said Medco expected Area 47 to begin production by the end of 2010, with an average output of 50,000 barrels oil per day (bpd).

“We’ve submitted our appraisal reports on the project’s economic viability to Libya’s National Oil Company, and we expect to receive its approval in the third quarter,” he said.

Medco, controlled by the Panigoro family, recorded $280 million in net profit last year, up from $7 million in 2007.

Source:The jakarta post

Verenex investors await Libyan counter bid

Investors in Canada's Verenex Energy Inc. said on Wednesday they saw growing risks of delays in the $C499 million ($425 million) sale of the company to China or Libya.

Libya has said it will exercise its right to pre-empt a friendly C$10-a-share bid for Verenex from China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) but Verenex in its earnings release on Tuesday said Libya had yet to make a formal offer.

Shares of Verenex were trading little changed at C$9.16 on Wednesday, indicating investors still expect a sale to happen. But some are uneasy over the lack of a formal bid from Libya, or word on Libya's consent to China's offer.

"The best thing is either the Libyan government says yes to the Chinese, or the Libyan government agrees to buy it on the same terms," a Verenex shareholder who declined to be identified said on Wednesday.

"But we have to be prepared for a situation where the downside occurs and Verenex goes back to a much lower price if it doesn't happen.

Source: Reuters

A new 360 degree pictures from Tripoli, Libya

Outside the Main Gates in Libya

This is new and very interesting to see actually, I have to say when I saw it, I thought this is great. It’s amazing to see it happening in Tripoli, I liked the idea so much and hope to see it expanding through the whole city not only few places and even to other cities in Libya. There are at the moment 5 photos and hopefully we will see more.

It gives viewers who have never been to Libya some sort of image or a better picture which they can relate to when they travel to the country.

You can simply click and drag the picture to look around in 360 degree!

Paris, France

I made this video about Paris City which I visited in Mar 2009

Paris, France, Champs-Elysées, louvre, eiffel tour, arc de triomphe, laseine concordeo, Libya, Italy, UK, England, London, USA, Sacre-Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Opera Palais Garnier, Place Vendôme, The Hôtel Ritz, Notre-Dame, Pont De Bir Hakeim, Tour Eiffel, The Champ de Mars, Mona Lisa, The Louvre Museum, The Place de la Concorde,

The Circus

The Circus
Originally uploaded by TAR3K

I took this photo when I was in the city of Bath in Easter break in April 2007, I like it and I like the Circus too, I took other photos from the city too. I stayed there for 3 days and I truly enjoyed the city and the history especially the Roman baths which were amazing. The city is a great and if you have not been there I think you should give a try.

Furthermore, I received an email from someone called Emma Williams on 3rd December 2008 to inform me that this photo was short-listed for inclusion in the 6th edition of Schmap Bath Guide and she was asking for my permission to allow this photo to be published.

Well, I was so pleased to receive such an email about one of my photos which I felt so proud.
Then on 19th December 2008 I received another email from Emma informing me that the photo has been selected for inclusion in the Guide.

I am extremely happy and proud at the same time and the reason is that I am NOT a professional photographer at all, I just like to take photos of places wherever I go and I publish some of them on Flicker, my website , Panoramio or Youtube.

Meeting between NOC chairman & CEO of NOEX

Dr. Shukri Ghanem, chairman of Libya's NOC, met on Monday 20th April 2009 with Mr. Makoto Koseki President and CEO of NOEX, meeting was also attended by Mr. Ali Saleh NOC's General Manager, Mr. Azzam Ali Elmesallati Members of the Management Committee and Mr. Khalifa Ben Gharbia chairman of the management committee of Nippon in Libya.

During the meeting both parties discussed various subjects with regard to the mutual interests between NOC and NOEX and the progress of merger between two Nippon Oil companies. They, furthermore, discussed the exploration projects which are undergoing by Nippon Libya in which the company announced the successful completion of the seismic operation and the start of drilling in its first well on 15th April 2009.

Since the execution of the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement in 2005 in which NOC has 92% and the remaining belongs to the Japanese company , NOEX has been conducting exploration activities in Libya, the company won, in the 2nd round, a sharing agreement onshore for Area 2 Blocks 2-1/2 and 40-3/4 about the city of Sabratha. NOEX is working with Japex Libya.

Source: NOC

Two new oil & gas discoveries in Libya

The Libyan state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) has reported two new oil and natural gas discoveries - one with Algerian partner Sonatrach in the Ghadames basin and the other with Spanish partners Repsol YPF SA and OMV AG in the Sirte basin.

NOC said Sonatrach made the first discovery on Block 65 in the Ghadames basin with the wildcat A1-65/02 well. The well was drilled to 9,033 ft TD about 230 km south of Tripoli, encountered both oil and gas in the Mamouniyat formation at intervals of 8,532 and 8,560 ft.
Testing of the wildcat showed oil of 48.8° gravity flowing at 1,344 b/d and gas flowing at 1.88 MMcfd through a 28/64-in. choke, NOC said.

NOC holds a 75% stake in the Block 65 license, while Sonatrach holds the remaining 25% stake, which it acquired in 2005.

NOC's second reported discovery, in the Sirte basin about 500 km east of Tripoli, was with the A1-NC202 wildcat, drilled to 15,815 ft TD in 50 m of water.

NOC said the A1-NC202 discovery found both oil and gas in the Demah formation at intervals of 4,442 and 4,484 ft. Testing of the well showed 26° gravity oil flowing at 1,264 b/d and gas flowing at 0.58 MMcfd through a 32/64-in. choke.

Repsol YPF operates the NC202 Block, which was awarded in 2003. Repsol YPF holds 21% interest, while NOC has a 65% stake, and OMV holds the remaining 14%.

Hassan Araiby's Death

أتقدم بأحر التعازي الى آل عريبي في ليبيا في وفاة المغفور له بإذن الله فناننا الكبير حسن عريبي نسأل الله ان يتقبله بالمغفرة والرحمة ويسكنه فسيح جناته وان يلهم أهله وذويه وأصدقاءه الصبر والسلوان وإِنَّا لِلهَِّ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

I start my article with a Verse from The Quran to express my deepest condolences to his death.

Hassan Araiby (حسن عريبي) has died in Tripoli, Libya on Saturday 18th April 2009 by a sudden heart attack in which he was taken to Alkhadra Hospital in Tripoli. His funeral will be held at Al Hani Cemetery on Sunday 19th April 2009.

He was born in 1935 in Sough El Guima (سوق الجمعه) area Tripoli, he moved to Benghazi at young age and worked as an employee at ministry of transportation. He was discovered as a singer by Mohamed Sudagi who gave him an opportunity which Araiby did not waste and it worked for him, after he joined the Music Department at Benghazi’s radio station as an advisor.

He collaborated with many Libyan, Egyptian, Lebanese and Tunisian singers.

He later returned to Tripoli to form his Maloof (Andalusi Tradition is a very popular type of music in North Africa) band in 1964 with many well-known names at that time in Libya.
He was the first president of the Libyan music board.

During his life time, he received many prestigious awards, medals and appreciation certificates, he as well chaired various positions in Libya and the Arab world and he was the chairman of the Arabic Music Board. In 2003 he chaired the Libyan Music Festival.

His death came as a shock to many Libyans who loved his timeless work.

Pont de Bir-Hakeim

Before I was travelling to Paris this March, I had a guide book about the city and while my wife was reading it and preparing where we should see and what to visit and suddenly and surprisingly she found some information about Libya at the heart of the French capital. It was a beautiful bridge and Metro station called Pont de Bir-Hakeim, so I decided, even before the visit, that I should see this place. Being a Libyan of course I was so happy to see it as I never ever heard of it before, so I thought I should share it with you.

Surprisingly, it is the closest Metro station to Eiffel Tower and I took as usual many photos which I enclose some of them and I even posted them in Flicker. It’s basically a bridge and on the top of it a railway for the metro.

Well, the origin of the name comes from a small & remote oasis in the Libyan Desert near Tobruk , it was where the First Free French Davison of General Koening defended the site from 26 may to 11 June 1942 against the German and Italian forces directed by the famous German General Rommel which was called the fox of the desert. It allowed and gave the British Army enough time to reorganise and subsequently allowing them to halt the Axis advance at the First Battle of El Alamein.