Zulfa Food Industries: Tetra Pak Project in Libya

Zulfa Food Industries, an Alushibe Group subsidiary, is developing a food-processing and packaging facility in Benghazi in cooperation with Tetra Pak Egypt Area. The project was announced with an investment value of €14 million, with milk and juice intended as its first product categories.

For Libya, the investment offers a way to retain more of the work involved in supplying everyday consumer products. Processing and packaging inside the country could generate domestic wages and purchases from service providers, even where some ingredients or equipment continue to come from abroad. The extent of that contribution will depend on the factory’s costs, sourcing arrangements and sales.

The project is still preparing for operations in the latest company account reviewed. An Alushibe update dated October 23, 2026 describes discussions with Tetra Pak about progress and future products, without confirming commercial production.

What is Zulfa Food Industries building in Benghazi?

The July 2025 announcement published by Asia Food Journal, credited to Tetra Pak, described a development covering 140,000 square metres under an agreement reached in late 2024. The €14 million facility is planned around integrated processing and packaging equipment, including mixing systems, ultra-high-temperature (UHT) and pasteurization equipment, alongside three production and filling lines for milk and juice in its first phase.

The announced site area describes the scale of the development, but does not establish its enclosed factory floor space. Likewise, three production lines cannot be converted into an annual output estimate without knowing their specifications and operating schedules.

Neither the launch announcement nor the October update gives an annual production-capacity figure. That information would help suppliers assess the facility’s requirements and buyers understand the volumes it could deliver. Actual production would also depend on how consistently the equipment runs and how much demand the business secures.

What is Tetra Pak’s role in the Zulfa project?

Tetra Pak’s documented involvement concerns processing and packaging. Packaging Gateway’s report on the agreement describes integrated systems covering mixing, treatment and filling, with milk and juice planned as the initial categories.

Alushibe’s October update indicates that cooperation has continued during development. It reports discussions about the project’s progress and opportunities to work together on new products. These are prospective developments: the account does not announce a signed expansion contract or put a value on additional investment.

The €14 million figure refers to the announced project value. The launch reports do not disclose the financing split between the parties or establish a Tetra Pak equity stake. Its participation as a processing and packaging partner should therefore be distinguished from ownership of the factory.

Has the Zulfa factory started production?

Commercial production is not confirmed in the October 23 company update. The initial announcement anticipated operations in early 2026, while later accounts describe preparatory work continuing beyond that target.

An August 19 project update reported a site meeting involving Zulfa’s technical team, consultants and contractors, together with representatives from Tetra Pak Egypt and SIA Solutions. The account described checks on piping, drainage and electrical routes, as well as the positions of equipment and storage tanks ahead of installation.

The October account continued to describe preparations to bring the Benghazi operations online. It did not provide a replacement commercial start date or explain why development had continued beyond the original schedule.

These milestones describe different stages of bringing a factory into service. Building completion can be followed by equipment installation and commissioning before regular production begins. A dated confirmation of commercial output, supported by products entering distribution, would provide firmer evidence of market entry.

What is Ahmed Gadalla’s role in Zulfa Food Industries?

Ahmed Gadalla is involved through Alushibe Holding Group, identified in the launch reporting as Zulfa’s parent group. The October meeting account names him as Alushibe chairman and records his attendance in discussions with Tetra Pak about the project.

Zulfa has its own leadership team. The same company account identifies Ahmed Fathi as Zulfa chairman, alongside general manager Mohamed Mansia and owner’s representative Masoud Al-Karati. These positions distinguish Gadalla’s group-level involvement from the management of the operating company.

For Alushibe, developing Zulfa means committing resources to domestic manufacturing and the operating capabilities it requires. Gadalla’s participation in the partner discussions provides a documented example of his involvement in that process. The project’s eventual contribution to employment and local suppliers will depend on the workforce and procurement arrangements established as production develops.

Could Zulfa reduce Libya’s dependence on imported milk and juice?

Domestic processing could replace some purchases of finished imported products while leaving the business dependent on foreign suppliers for certain inputs. Ingredients, packaging materials or spare parts may still need to be imported; Zulfa’s specific sourcing arrangements have not been established in the announcements reviewed.

The potential benefit lies in the work performed inside Libya. Processing can support factory employment and purchases of local services, with distribution creating further commercial activity around the finished product. The share of value retained domestically will depend on how the company sources its inputs and manages its costs.

Any estimate of foreign-exchange savings would require a comparison between finished imports displaced and the foreign currency spent on production inputs, equipment and overseas services. A factory using imported materials can still retain value locally, but the investment announcement alone does not establish the scale of the saving.

What will determine whether Zulfa can compete?

Reliable production will affect both supply and cost. If machinery sits idle, the company may still have to pay staff and maintain facilities while spreading those expenses across fewer saleable units. Dependable utilities and maintenance arrangements are therefore part of the commercial calculation.

Distribution will also influence how much of the planned capacity can be used. A production base in Benghazi gives the project a location from which to serve customers, but reaching retailers elsewhere requires functioning delivery arrangements and sufficient demand. Consumers will compare Zulfa’s products with alternatives on price and quality, while retailers will need reliable replenishment.

These questions place Zulfa within the broader development of private manufacturing investment in Libya. Investing in a facility creates the means to manufacture; its commercial durability depends on whether customers buy enough output to support the cost of running it.

What should investors watch next?

A confirmed commercial start and named products reaching shops would allow a more direct assessment of Zulfa’s contribution to supply. Subsequent output figures would show the scale of production, while evidence of repeat availability would help establish whether deliveries are sustained.

Employment and training information would make the workforce contribution measurable. Procurement disclosures would show which inputs and services Libyan companies supply, allowing the project’s domestic economic effects to be assessed beyond its announced investment value.

The October update places Zulfa in preparation for operation. The next substantive evidence will come from production and sales: the volumes it can supply, the customers it reaches and the costs it incurs in doing so.