Ahmed Gadalla’s Journey From Automotive Parts to Industrial Projects

Ahmed Gadalla started his entrepreneurial journey in 2008 in Benghazi with a small business dealing in car spare parts. It was a small beginning at the time, but it was the foundation for what would become known as Alushibe Holding Group, a company with interests in many of Libya’s major industries. He is now chairman of Alushibe Holding Group, which employs more than 6,000 people and serves more than two million customers. 

Recently, his work caught the attention of Libya Investment Monitor, which featured him among six entrepreneurs helping to grow Libya’s private sector. Later, the publication produced a separate profile more closely looking at his investments in steel, cement and food manufacturing. 

For Gadalla, moving to industry has been quite a change from where he began. Trading and distribution have helped establish his business, but manufacturing has opened the door to a different type of investment, one that involves building facilities, working with international partners and producing goods within Libya. 

One of the biggest examples is Tosyalı-SULB, a steel project east of Benghazi. Gadalla will be chairman of the venture, which brings together Libya United Steel Company and Turkish steel producer Tosyali. The project is under construction at Ras Al-Mangar and is expected eventually to produce up to 8.1 million tons per year of direct reduced iron. 

Gadalla’s manufacturing involvement also includes cement production. Alushibe Holding Group is connected to the Libyan Cement Company, which is looking to resume operations at its existing plants. The project is currently under rehabilitation of a production line in Benghazi that has been shut since 2014. It is expected to increase the company’s output and help meet demand for cement across Libya. 

The group is also investing in another area namely food and beverage manufacturing. Zulfa Food Industries is establishing a production unit in Benghazi, and is working with Tetra Pak to introduce modern processing and packaging technology. The company intends to produce milk, juices and other beverages for the Libyan market. 

The companies are in different industries, but they are indicative of how Gadalla's priorities have shifted over the years. His early work was bringing products into the country, whilst his more recent investments are more in producing those products locally. 

That change requires a different way of doing business. Building a manufacturing facility requires years of planning, significant investment and expertise to run modern equipment. This also means building local teams’ skills and experience through relationships with international companies. 

Gadalla’s contribution to the coverage provided by the Libya Investment Monitor underscores the increased attention that is being paid to Libyan entrepreneurs expanding their businesses beyond oil and gas. 

His business interests are now a long way from the automotive parts trade where he started. But much of his work is centred in Benghazi, and several of his largest industrial projects are taking shape in and around the city. 

Gadalla, more than fifteen years after starting his first business, continues to branch out into new industries, with much of his focus now on what Libya can produce at home. 

References: 

1.Ahmed Gadalla | alushibe – building Libya’s future. (2026, September 29). Ahmedgadalla.Com. https://www.ahmedgadalla.com 

2.Libyan Cement Company. Libyan Cement Company. https://www.lcc.ly/ 

3.Monitor, L. I. (2026, September 30). Libya’s entrepreneurs: Six business leaders building the private economy. Libya Investment Monitor. https://libyainvestmentmonitor.com/libyas-entrepreneurs 

4.Monitor, L. I. (2026, October 8). Ahmed Gadalla: Alushibe, Tosyalı-SULB and Libya’s industrial growth. Libya Investment Monitor. https://libyainvestmentmonitor.com/ahmed-gadalla 

5.Tosyali Sulb. Tosyali Sulb. https://www.tosyalisulb.com.ly/ 

6.Zulfa Food Industries — Coming soon.https://www.zulfa.ly/site-access?redirect=%2F