I have been offered an opportunity to go out to Tripoli, Libya. Could anyone give me any advice. I am a single British female in my late 20's and would really appreciate some advice on what reception I could expect.
How easy it is to make friends out there? Are the expats mainly families? Is there any social aspect at all?

Thanks!

Some recentish threads on Libya in the Middle East section.

Dear darwinjnr,
I'm libyan from city of janzour ,I love my country also love to be nice ,peaceful and servicable for all foreigners who had no idea about Libya , I could provide you any help whatever ,feel free to email me if you need any advice.
thanks

Hi Darwinjnr,
Its very good out there in Tripoli, its very cheap in here, people are easygoing, friendly and helpful, dinning out is cheap as well. if you enjoy swimming, water sports, and fishing Libya is the right place for you.

nice brand names for clothes and pay less. there is Marks & Spencer, H&M Monsoon.

You are very welcome in Libya. u'll see how good, hospitable the Libyans are.

any question feel free and just drop me a line.

Any F&B people? Oil companies are big, how is with leisure and travel biz?

Hi Darwin
I am a 30 year old female and I have been living here with my husband for just over a year now. We are both Maltese and we really settled in well here ... there is lots of advice i can give you so for any questions write to me on [email protected]
ciao ciao
sarah

Can anyone tell me if Palm City is full or if there are still accomodation options available?

Hi
Yes Palm city still has units available you can contact Chris [email protected]
ciao
s

Hi I read your post in britishexpats about palm city. I am living in Janzour and would like to visit the new palm city. Just to look a bit around. Is there a possibility to make a guest membership or so and what do I need or who can I contact. I`m here with my husband and little son.
Cheers R.

Hi
you dont happen to be nursing do you?
If you are I would love to hear from you .
Gena

no just a simple housewife with a 6 year old son.
Greetings R

Well if i have to give some really helpful advice, then i would tell you not to go there. Specially for a single female and in her late 20s, I went there once and i stayed for 1 week in a buisness related matter and i couldn't stand it, if you have any other option than going to libya then i think you need to reconsider.

I have lived in Tripoli for four months.It is difficult for a woman to go out alone because locals keep bothering you.You always have to hang out with a group.There is not much to do on your holidays.Only couple of cafes and restaurants.Only interesting place is the old town where there is an Ottoman castle and a bazaar.
There is terrible traffic, crowdy and people drive like crazy but you get used to it.
I would not suggest you to go there.

Hi, I've lived there for awhile (looking back I wonder how I did it). My impressions were this: the libyans are very friendly, I found them to be nice people. It's relatively safe (taking the usual precautions). The city is unlike any other western city, in that although women are out & about, it is mostly male dominated. It's quite a harsh environment. There is an expat scene, although it seems to revolve around the same groups of people over & over again & is a bit stale because I think people are so desperate for something to do, it is pretty boring, even with expat stuff going on. Yes, there are lots of families & there are also single people. It would be better for you if your job offered you some form of social contacts, otherwise you might find it isolating. I didn't like it and couldn't recommend - too boring & nothing much to do.

We're just coming to the end of a year and a bit posting to Libya, based in Tripoli, as a family unit with 2 yr old daughter.

The worst thing in Libya is the standard of driving - it is at best reckless, at worst, suicidal. You can meet the nicest of people, who undergo a personality transplant when they see a steering wheel and the loud pedal. Accidents are commonplace and as a foreigner you will always be at a disadvantage.

The Libyans are friendly enough and you will often be stopped by someone in the street wanting to practise their Arabish.

There are more and more markets/supermarkets opening up all the time and expat goodies are becoming easier to find and the prices generally not exhorbitant.

Violent crime (robbery etc) against expats is low, but petty crime and especially opportunistic theft from vehicles and properties is on the rise.

Western women are not required to cover their heads, but can expect abusive and suggestive comments and cat calls from groups of young <30 yrs males who like to hang around.

There are no bars, clubs, pubs, western style entertainment malls or cinemas. Alcohol is widely available in the form of the local moonshine (known as Flash), or smuggled beer, wine and spirits.

There are plenty of pre-school nursery type groups and British curriculum schools.

Social entertainment in Tripoli is limited to whichever group you decide to go with. Many of the women's groups are very cliquey and your place on the food chain dependent on (1) how important is your husband (2) how long you have been there.

On a scale of 1 to 10, we give it a 3 and don't ever want to come back here.