Najwa was the Head of Contract Section Crude Oil Sales Department, and member of the Libyan crude official selling price committee 2007-2010, also she was a member of finalizing of multiple agreements of downstream investments committee 2007-2009.

She is expert and consultant in issues related to corruption in the Oil and Gas Industry for International Organisations and NGOs such as: Global Witnesses, Revenue Watch, Open Oil; 2012-2016.

Najwa earned a BA in Economics and MSc in Management from Academy of Graduate Studies, Tripoli, Libya; and MBA from Webster University, Missouri (US), also she holds MA in Marketing from Regent’s University, London (UK).

She Joined KCL Defence studies in 2021 for PhD research program, and her thesis title ‘Resource Curse’ and the peculiar case of Libya. Her research aims to better understand the key structures of the country, and why the country’s natural resources need to be viewed as one piece of a complex ‘power puzzle’. Libya has been a particular case for the oil and gas industry across this span of time”. 

Although, these ubique case were particularly striking during Gaddafi’s era, but since 201, one can notice how the country’s energy sector has been the predominant site of a power struggle involving different actors and practices that indicate why and how energy has neither been a curse nor a blessing; but the context within which social, economic, and political divisions, have emerged defining the country’s trajectory since its independence.

Research Interests

• Political Economy of Conflict "Mediated State"
• Corruption in the Rentier State, Oil Curse
• Energy Security and Conflicts
• Sustainability in the Oil and Gas industry
• Accountability and Governance
• Culture and International Relation

Thesis

Tittle: Resource Curse’ and the peculiar case of Libya. A contextual examination of agency and mediated statehood.

Libya has been a considerable producer of crude oil since the 1960s, it displays lower economic and social indicators when compared with other developing oil and non-oil producing economies most notably the Gulf States. The country's lack of transparency, inefficient government institutions, massive corruption and misuse of its oil revenue contributed to the under-performance of its economic growth and development.

Although Libya can be viewed as an unclear case in comparison to other states in the region that can be characterised as late rentier states. Libya represents a valuable case study, even 11 years after the end of Gaddafi’s rule – highlights the need to better understand the key structures of the country and why the country’s natural resources need to be viewed as one piece of a complex ‘power puzzle’.

However, this case study highlighted to the importance of agency (i.e., who has the capacity to act) in the context of Libya. Some researcher and politicians have referred to power of different networks of power, and limited attention has been paid to the connection between the role of international and domestic actors on the one hand and hydrocarbon rents on the other hand.

Supervisor

• Professor Jonathan Hill