Bad weather shuts four Libyan oil export ports

Nn oil refinery in Libya's northern town of Ras Lanuf (Getty)
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Updated 10 January 2022
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Bad weather shuts four Libyan oil export ports

Libyan oil exports further struggled from the shutting down of four terminals located in the eastern part of the country due to bad weather conditions.

Also known as Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Hariga and Zueitina, the four terminals are expected to remain shut until early next week, dragging Libyan oil exports to 900,000 barrels a day, down from over one million barrels daily, Bloomberg reported

The country's oil exports were already disrupted due to a prior blockade of crucial ports – Zawiya and Mellitah respectively- in the west by a militant force, also known as the Petroleum Facilities Guard .

This blockade accounted for a 45 percent fall in the OPEC state’s oil exports during the first week of 2022 when compared to the previous month's average.

Any lingering disruptions in the Libyan oil exports poses a risk to the industry recovery that the North African country experienced in 2021, which boosted production to 1.2 million barrels a day.


Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows


Updated 47 min 42 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows


WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.

The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.

The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.

It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.

This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.

Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.

He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.

Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.

The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.

Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.

The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.