People sit in half-cubicles as they work at the Nuqta coworking space, which provides workstations, meeting rooms, and a cafeteria for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Tripoli. — AFP picTRIPOLI, Feb 21 — For those needing space to do business in Libya, a country beset by frequent blackouts and internet cuts after a decade of war, co-working has become increasingly popular.
But co-working space managers have come up with solutions, providing those needing to connect online with everything from backup electricity generators and solar panels to power inverters.The new shared workspaces also provide their often young clients with a place not just to plug in their laptops, but also to network with like-minded people.
“I don’t see myself locked in an office all day. Working from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm does not necessarily guarantee a return,” said 23-year-old web designer Mohamad al-Mahjoub.Some work on the terrace overlooking the street, sipping coffees — ordered online — from cafes. “We have created a community of freelancers,” said Rayan. “It provides a link between investors and the creators of businesses.”Following Gaddafi’s ouster in the 2011 Nato-backed uprising, an array of militias and rival administrations have filled the power vacuum, fighting to impose their authority.But a fragile ceasefire between the two main sides agreed last October has largely held, and a transitional body has been put in place to prepare for December elections.
“We were physically safe, but I needed to stay in touch with the world I knew and, without power or internet at my relative’s place, this became a safe haven for me,” she said.
Source: News Formal (newsformal.com)