The first shipping passengers left from the port of Tripoli to the commercial port of Zarzis, Tunisia, after 11 years of stoppage, recently.

The Libyan Ministry of Transport said in a statement that the launch ceremony of the cruise line was attended by the Libyan Minister of Transport, Tunisian Ambassador to Libya, al-As’ad al-Ajili, together with a number of senior officials in Libya.

It also added that “efforts will be made in the future to launch several cruise lines from Libya to several neighboring countries like Malta, Morocco, and Egypt”.

Misbah Al-Taher, the Director of the Tripoli seaport said this step is coinciding with the reopening of the port terminal, which will be the starting point for the weekly trips”.

“The Libyans were waiting for the launch of this cruise line for over a decade”, said the director of Tripoli marine passenger station Ala al-Sokni. The voyage was carrying 270 passengers and a number of cars.

The Ministry of Transport also stated that the government of Libya had launched a cruise line between Libya and Turkiye two years ago, an effort to promote the partnership in the public and private sectors of both countries.