The present study is one of the three baseline studies conducted as part of the Libyan Socioeconomic Dialogue Project, which was launched with a view to developing a vision for future social and economic development in Libya, outlining options available to stakeholders in the political process and facilitating a national dialogue on socioeconomic development and good governance, with a particular focus on key sustainable development priorities.

This paper presents a critical sociological and historical analysis of the Libyan crisis and its impact on Libyan society after 2011. In addition, it reviews and focuses on local strategies for survival and resistance. Four major arguments are made in the analysis of the Libyan crisis. First, that the persistent violence does not stem from cultural concepts such as fragmentation and tribalism but, rather, has been manufactured by the failed leadership and outside intervention.

The full success of the energy transition in the Arab region is largely tied to strengthening the regional cooperation and trade among Arab countries and represents a fruitful avenue to support more sustainable energy systems. The benefits of deploying clean energy systems, smart grids, and green corridors are numerous and crucial to diversify the region’s energy mix while developing grid interconnections between countries towards a pan-Arab electricity market.