The interim ruling council of Libya on Tuesday named its new prime minister following the planned resignation of current Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, according to reports.

Abdurrahim El-Keib, a U.S.-educated engineering professor, was chosen by the National Transitional Council (NTC) to serve as the interim head of the state, which is currently in a rebuilding process following months of civil war.

“This transition period has its own challenges. One thing we will be doing is working very closely with the NTC and listening to the Libyan people,” he told Al-Jazeera television after his appointment.

He said that the Libyan government will make good on its proposal to set up a new cabinet in two weeks. “We intend to meet that deadline,” he told the broadcaster.

El-Keib was selected by the NTC on Monday after he gained 26 of 51 votes in a meeting in Tripoli.

Mohammed al-Harizi, an NTC member, told The Associated Press that el-Keib was present during fighting between rebels and pro-Moammar Gadhafi forces and “knows what is happening on the ground.”

"He has been around long enough to know what needs to be improved, unlike Mahmoud Jibril who only comes to Libya as a visitor and never stays for long," al-Harizi added.