Khaled Elmufti

“When we started there was an important question that needed to be answered. Is there Libyan youth that can be role models for entrepreneurship in Libya? I am now more optimistic than ever that Libya will rise. It is just a matter of time, and time only.”

Dubbed as ‘the quiet revolutionary’ and a pioneer of civil reconstruction in modern Libya, Khaled Elmufti founded Tatweer Research, a non-profit organisation, in October 2010, with the Libyan Local Investment and Development Fund (LLIDF), which is owned by the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) and the Central Bank of Libya (CBL).

The organisation was founded to boost knowledge, capacity and private enterprise in Libya. Elmufti has been Chairman and CEO of the organisation since.

Under Elmufti’s leadership, Tatweer Research is responsible for driving Innovation Programmes hubbed at it Tatweer Entrepreneurship Campus (TEC); delivering Capacity Building Programs to educate, develop and empower Libyan youth and leaders, including its Graduate Program; and deliver a 1,200-hectare Economic Free Zone and Tech City in Libya.

Elmufti combines entrepreneurial and academic excellence with economic and policy achievements at the highest level. His technical expertise was formed from his engineering degree at City University, London, followed by a PhD in Authentication and Privacy in Mobile Web Services, Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, which he completed in 2007.

In 2009, Elmufti decided to return to Libya and it was then he realised the huge potential for developing the country’s Research & Development capabilities.

Elmufti has big ambitions and through Tatweer aims to build Libya’s private sector through the creation of up to one million jobs within the next decade predominantly via the enablement of start-ups and adoption of technology trends. He is a passionate advocate and believer of the vital role of technology and innovation in building Libya’s future by bringing about a new generation of home-grown leaders and entrepreneurs.

Since its inception and under Elmufti’s leadership Tatweer has attracted partnerships with many high-level organisations and companies including: St. John’s Innovation Centre, Judge Business School at Cambridge University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), DLA Piper, PWC, and many more.

In addition to his work at Tatweer, Khaled is a rounder and investor in numerous technology start-ups including: Mobile Money, a mobile money platform to raise equity funding from leading Libyan private banks; and Technology Infrastructure, an information and communication technology systems integrator for the Libyan financial sector.

Elmufti is a regular speaker at leading international conferences and events, including The Economist Leadership Summit and TEDx.

He is also an alumnus of Singularity University, Silicon Valley.

Notable Dates

March 2018: Launches Libya’s first co-working, mentoring and incubator space – Tatweer Entrepreneurship Campus (TEC) in Benghazi, Libya.

September 2017: Secures a three-year EU-funded partnership with UNDP to build Libya’s entrepreneurial eco-systems.

2017: Executive Programme, Singularity University, Silicon Valley.

2010 – present: Chairman and CEO Tatweer Research.

October 2010: Founded Tatweer Research.

2007 – 2009: Owner of first successful start-up, TEGWAL Advanced Digital Solutions in Saudi Arabia.

2004 – 2007: PHD in Authentication and Privacy in Mobile Web Services, Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, City University of London.

2002 – 2003: Master’s in Computing Science, Imperial College London.

1998 – 2002: Bachelor of Engineering, City University of London.