The National Development Agency (NDA), the reconstruction and development arm of the Libyan National Army (LNA), is informally headed by LNA deputy commander Saddam Haftar and has operated in central Libya for years with the main goal of redeveloping Sirte.
It has become one of the LNA’s most successful civilian administrations, and is continuing to expand its scope beyond the north, pushing into southern Libya.
As Saddam Haftar has continued to gain prominence within the LNA and become a common interlocutor with American, French, and Turkish leaders, the NDA has looked to increase its international partnerships.
Central foundations
The NDA was founded in 2024 under the leadership of Mahmoud al-Ferjani, with the goal of rebuilding Sirte’s infrastructure. The central city had been heavily damaged by multiple battles since the Arab Spring. In 2011, it was the site of the final battle of the First Libyan Civil War, as the city was the last holdout for Gaddafi loyalists. In 2016, forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA), with Western support, fought a gruelling battle to take the city back from the Islamic State.
The NDA's flagship projects in Sirte have been the construction of the airport and the expansion of the commercial port. The Sirte Gulf International Airport officially opened in late 2025, while work on the port is still under way, including the creation of a free zone intended to attract investment.
