After more than a decade closed because of war damage, the University of Benghazi resumed operations on September 4, 2026, following a three-year reconstruction led by the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund.
The University of Benghazi reopened on September 4, 2026, after being closed for more than 11 years due to wartime destruction.
A three-year reconstruction by the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund restored faculties, library, labs, student housing and campus infrastructure.
The reopening ceremony included a drone display that set three Guinness World Records and drew about 240 foreign guests.
# What happened
On September 4, 2026, the University of Benghazi officially reopened all of its faculties and facilities after more than 11 years of closure. The campus had been shut following severe destruction during the Libyan Armed Forces' war. A reconstruction and rehabilitation project implemented by the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund restored the main campus and its services.
# Who led the rebuild
The reconstruction project was overseen by the Fund's director general, engineer Belqasim Khalifa Haftar. The Fund describes the effort as one of its most prominent educational initiatives. Field marshal Khalifa Haftar also attended the inauguration.
# What was rebuilt
# Scale and historical context
Libya's oldest and largest higher-education institutions and has educated generations of scientists, academics and officials. The university has been identified as serving nearly 100,000 students historically and has provided free education across decades.
# Opening ceremony and world records
The inauguration was attended by prominent Libyan figures, ambassadors and about 240 foreign guests. A central feature of the ceremony was an advanced 3D mapping and aerial drone performance. The drone show achieved three Guinness World Records: a formation shaped like an eagle, a quill formation that formed the words "University of Benghazi" across the sky, and a peace-symbol formation.
# Human-capital investment
Alongside physical reconstruction, the Fund has sent more than 1,000 university students abroad to continue their studies. The Fund positions this as a parallel investment in human capital while rebuilding facilities at home.
# Wider reconstruction program
The reopening at Benghazi is part of a broader effort described by the Fund. More than 2,300 development projects are reportedly under implementation across eastern and southern Libya. These include rehabilitation work at other universities and educational institutions in Kufra, Al Bayda, Derna, Al Marj, Ajdabiya, Sirte, Brak al-Shati and Murzuq, plus roughly 250 schools.
# Why this matters locally
Restoring the university returns a major education center to public life in eastern Libya. Beyond reinstating teaching and research space, the works reestablish student housing, labs and library resources that are necessary for degree programs and campus life. The combination of campus restoration and scholarships aims to address both infrastructure and workforce development needs.
# What to watch next
On September 4, 2026, the University of Benghazi officially reopened all its faculties and facilities following the completion of a comprehensive reconstruction and rehabilitation project implemented by the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund, headed by its Director General, Engineer Belqasim Khalifa Haftar. The
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