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Mid East Info
20 hours ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Big 5 Construct Ethiopia spotlights opportunities in $67 billion construction market from 26-28 June 2025 - Middle East Business News and Information
The event is endorsed by Ethiopia's Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, taking place at Millennium Hall, Addis Ababa Ethiopia's construction market is supported by major projects including the La Gare, Abusera International Airport and Mesob Tower The launch of East Africa Infrastructure & Water Expo supports $395 billion infrastructure market Ethiopia's construction market is valued at $67 billion, driven by the country's economic growth priorities under its Ten-Year Development Plan 2020-30 (Source: ABiQ). Supporting this ambition, the 2025 edition of Big 5 Construct Ethiopia, the country's largest construction event, will take place from 26-28 June at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa. Endorsed by the Ministry of Urban & Infrastructure, the event connects international companies with regional opportunities, enabling business networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration. Co-located with Big 5 Construct Ethiopia, the inaugural East Africa Infrastructure & Water Expo, broadens the event's impact by engaging government representatives, utilities service providers, regulators and public project owners. This expanded focus strengthens regional cooperation and supports critical infrastructure development across East Africa. This comes at a time, as Ethiopia accelerates investment in transformative projects across transport, water, power and ICT. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Mesob Tower, airport expansions and major expressway projects are some of the region's mega projects and modernization initiatives. From residential properties to logistics hubs, Ethiopia's pipeline of multi-billion-dollar projects, including the $1.5 billion La Gare urban redevelopment and the $7.8 billion Abusera International Airport, is attracting growing interest from construction firms, material suppliers and technology providers. 'The launch of East Africa Infrastructure & Water Expo alongside Big 5 Construct Ethiopia supports Ethiopia's development vision by enabling the exchange of expertise, technology and investment,' said Josine Heijmans, Senior Vice President – Construction, dmg events. 'With Ethiopia's infrastructure market valued at $395 billion, these events allow international companies to form strategic partnerships with Ethiopian and East African stakeholders, enabling knowledge exchange and creating opportunities to realize some of the region's construction and infrastructure goals (Source: ABiQ).' International exhibitors and country pavilions The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to engage with over 230 exhibitors, including international and local brands that will showcase high-quality products, materials and technologies tailored to Ethiopia's growing construction and infrastructure demands. Some of these include Jotun and Asian Paint, known for durable coatings and finishes; NAFFCO, a leader in firefighting equipment, fire protection, alarm and safety systems; USG, manufacturer of interior construction products; Emirates National Copper Factory, an electrical and construction-grade copper solutions provider; and SCAFFCO, a recognized major player providing efficient scaffolding and formwork solutions. The event also welcomes first-time exhibitors such as Signify (Philips Lighting), known for high-quality, energy-efficient lighting solutions ; Thomsun Industries, a brand in the building materials sector; and Bitumat, a manufacturer of advanced waterproofing and roofing solutions; further expanding the range of solutions on display and the growing demand in the sector. Country pavilions from Germany, Türkiye, China, Italy and India, among others, highlight rising international interest in the market. Across Big 5 Construct Ethiopia, exhibitors will cover sectors such as Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Services, building materials, construction tools & personal protection equipment, heavy construction equipment, digital construction and more. Meanwhile, East Africa Infrastructure & Water Expo will spotlight solutions in smart cities, urban mobility, waste and water management, power and communications infrastructure. Knowledge sharing and CPD-certified talks Big 5 Construct Ethiopia and East Africa Infrastructure & Water Expo feature CPD-certified talks and practical sessions focused on regional priorities, offering valuable opportunities to learn, connect with decision-makers and engage with government entities and industry leaders. Big 5 Talks will cover sessions on architecture and design, project management, technology and sustainable building materials. New themed programmes, Infra360 and Water360, will explore practical solutions to East Africa's infrastructure and water challenges, from smart systems and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to resource-efficient technologies and urban resilience. East Africa Infrastructure & Water Summit, a premium, invite-only programme, will convene policymakers, project owners and technical experts to explore unique strategies and infrastructure development pathways for the region. 'Urbanization across Ethiopia and the wider East African region is creating new business opportunities at an unprecedented pace. Big 5 Construct Ethiopia alongside the East Africa Infrastructure & Water Expo, will support and accelerate this growth,' concluded Heijmans. Registration for the free-to-attend events is now open for trade and industry professionals over 18.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Egypt unveils plan for new desert city in latest megaproject
Egyptian farmers use a threshing machine as they harvest wheat crop at a farmland on the River Nile, near Cairo, Egypt. PHOTO: REUTERS CAIRO - Egypt on June 1 unveiled plans for a vast new urban development west of Cairo where a man-made channel of the River Nile will eventually wind through what was once arid desert. The new city, named Jirian meaning 'Flow' in Arabic, is part of Egypt's Nile Delta scheme, a massive agricultural initiative aiming to reclaim about 10,117 sq km west of the original Nile Delta. The ambitious agricultural project, which started in 2021, seeks to boost production of strategic crops such as wheat and corn while reducing the North African country's food import bill. The project is the latest in a string of megaprojects launched by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in recent years, including a new administrative capital east of Cairo. While officials say these projects are key to Egypt's long-term growth, they have also contributed to the country's soaring foreign debt, which quadrupled since 2015 to reach US$155.2 billion (S$200 billion) by late 2024. The country has also received billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union to ensure its financial stability, with the EU pledging billions more in May. At a launch event on June 1, Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli called the Jirian project 'an urban and development revolution'. He added that it would create 250,000 jobs and serve as the cornerstone of a wider development zone equivalent in size to four to five governorates. 'We are talking about full-spectrum development,' he told reporters, describing a sprawling urban zone that will include industry, logistics hubs and homes for 'between 2.5 and 3 million families'. The government did not disclose the total cost of the project which is being developed in partnership with three major Egyptian real estate firms. The new Nile Delta project comes at a time when Egypt is already under pressure to secure its water future. With 97 per cent of its fresh water sourced from the Nile, the country has been locked in a years-long dispute with Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo fears could reduce downstream water flows. Developers said that a canal connected to the Nile will run through the heart of the 7 sq km Jirian city, occupying a fifth of its total area and serving both as a scenic centrepiece and an irrigation source for surrounding farmland. The project will feature luxury residences, 80-storey skyscrapers, international universities and hospitals, an eco-friendly hotel, commercial zones as well as a cultural and media district, they added. It will also lie just minutes away from the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is due to fully open in July, the Giza Pyramids and nearby Sphinx international airport. Construction began five months ago and is expected to be completed within five years, according to the project's developers. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Egypt Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Egypt warns of regional escalations over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty revealed that the current stalemate on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis could lead to renewed tensions in the region, given the escalating dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia and the failure to reach an agreement. During his participation in the US-Egypt Policy Leaders Forum held by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo, the Egyptian Foreign Minister assured that Egypt is working to maintain stability, and referred to several points of tension in the region, including incidents in Sudan and the situation in the Gaza Strip. Egypt suspended talks with Ethiopia over the GERD more than a year ago due to Addis Ababa's intransigence in the negotiations and its attempts to buy time to complete the dam. Rising water tensions The GERD is one of the most controversial issues in the Horn of Africa, a source of ongoing tension between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan since Ethiopia began its construction on the Blue Nile in 2011. The Ethiopian dam, the largest hydropower project in Africa, aims to generate more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling Ethiopia's energy production and providing electricity to nearly 60 percent of its population, which suffers from energy shortages. The dam raises concerns for Egypt and Sudan, which rely heavily on the Nile's waters, as the Blue Nile provides approximately 85 percent of the Nile's total flow. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for over 98 percent of its water needs, considers the dam an existential threat to its water security. Cairo fears that filling and operating the dam without a binding agreement will reduce its water share, potentially impacting agriculture, drinking water supplies, and the economy as a whole. Stagnant talks In September 2023, Ethiopia announced the completion of the fourth and final phase of filling the dam's reservoir, sparking fierce Egyptian protests describing the move as 'illegal.' Egypt also expressed concern that Ethiopia could use the dam for political purposes, such as controlling water flow as a leverage. Ethiopia views the dam as a vital development project to eradicate poverty and provide electricity to its population of more than 123 million, nearly half of whom lack access to electricity. The Ethiopian government has asserted that the dam will not cause significant harm to the riparian states and that it is committed to the principles of equitable utilization of the Nile's waters, in accordance with the 2015 Declaration of Principles. However, Ethiopia has refused to sign legally binding agreements specifying how the dam will be managed during droughts. Negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan stalled in late 2023 due to what Egypt described as 'Ethiopia's intransigence' and its refusal to accept compromises that safeguard the interests of the three countries.
Egypt Independent
08-05-2025
- Science
- Egypt Independent
Nile flooding sparks concern, with GERD coordination under scrutiny
Professor of Geology and Water Resources at Cairo University, Abbas Sharaqi, noted that the flooding of some agricultural land on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt is a dire sign of Ethiopia's lack of coordination with Egypt regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). In a Facebook post, Sharaqi explained that the lands that flooded in Monufia Governorate and elsewhere during April are 'Nile Riverbank land' – meaning parts of the riverbanks or islands that are not usually reached by the Nile's normal water levels. The Ministry of Irrigation allows farmers to lease these lands, knowing that the Nile's water level could rise at any time. The current rise in the Nile River's water level is occurring at an unusual and surprising time, the professor noted, especially since Lake Nasser is expected to be at its lowest levels now, near the end of the water year, in preparation for receiving rainfall from the new season. 'The lack of coordination between Egypt and Sudan with Ethiopia regarding the Renaissance Dam, due to the absence of an agreement, causes a state of ambiguity and confusion in planning water and agricultural policies, particularly in the smaller Sudanese dams downstream from the High Dam, due to the uncertainty surrounding the filling and discharge schedule of the Renaissance Dam,' he said. He continued, 'It is customary for the Nile's water level to rise in some years with high rainfall, during which the High Dam's reservoir fills up. If the flooding continues, the Toshka Spillway is opened, and if the inflow increases further, other gates of the High Dam are opened, leading to a rise in the Nile's level and the flooding of some riverbank lands. This usually happens once every several years in September or October.' Concerning floods He pointed out that the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation notified the governorates along the Nile River last October of the possibility of some riverbank lands being inundated, which is 'expected' for this time. However, he said the current water conditions in April, both at the GERD and the High Dam, do not warrant the increased flow from Lake Nasser as seen recently. 'Lake Nasser's level is at its lowest during this time of year, which is the last quarter of the water year ending in July, after which the reception of the new year's water begins. Furthermore, the Renaissance Dam's turbines are not operational, and the discharge from it is currently at its lowest, around 12 million cubic meters per day. We are also at the end of the winter agricultural season, during which farmers begin harvesting crops, primarily wheat, and the summer season, with its water-intensive rice cultivation, has not yet begun.' 'The temperature has not yet risen significantly, as we are in spring with an average daytime temperature of 20-30 degrees Celsius. Hydrological changes in the Nile River require hundreds, even thousands of years, as do climate changes. However, fluctuations in the Nile's flow have occurred for thousands of years, including the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine, and the drought years of 1981-1987,' he explained. The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation had confirmed in a previous statement that the inundation of these lands with water is a recognized occurrence over the past decades, when specific discharges are released at different times throughout the year, within an integrated water management system aimed at ensuring water and economic security and maintaining the safety and integrity of Egypt's water infrastructure. The ministry clarified that the reason for the change in the timing of high discharge releases, which resulted in the rise in water levels and the flooding of these lands, is due to several variables, the most important of which are the altered hydrology of the river (the timing and volume of flows arriving from the Upper Nile) and the uncertainty surrounding the timing and quantities of water reaching Lake Nasser. This comes in addition to regional and local climate change and its impact on rising temperatures, consequently increasing water demand and the early start of the agricultural season.
Egypt Today
29-04-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
President El-Sisi Receives Angolan Counterpart and African Union Chairperson João Lourenço in Cairo
President El-Sisi gives a Speech on the 43th Anniversary of Sinai Liberation- press photo CAIRO – 29 April 2025: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Angolan President João Lourenço in Cairo on Monday, in his capacity as the current Chairperson of the African Union. The high-level meeting aimed to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Angola while addressing shared challenges facing the African continent. The visit comes as part of broader diplomatic efforts to enhance coordination among African nations and reinforce the African Union's role in advancing development, peace, and security. During their talks, Presidents El-Sisi and Lourenço underscored their commitment to expanding cooperation across various sectors, including infrastructure development, energy, trade, education, and security. Both leaders expressed their mutual desire to build a strategic partnership that supports sustainable growth and regional integration. President El-Sisi highlighted Egypt's readiness to share its expertise with Angola, particularly in technical training, renewable energy, and public infrastructure. He noted that Egypt sees Angola as a vital partner in southern Africa and emphasized the importance of bolstering economic and diplomatic ties. Regional and Continental Priorities The meeting also focused on key African issues such as conflict resolution, combating terrorism, climate change, and food insecurity. As Chair of the African Union, President Lourenço emphasized the need for African-led solutions to African problems and expressed his commitment to reinforcing cooperation within the AU framework. Both presidents agreed on the necessity of collective African action to support peace-building, enhance resilience to global crises, and promote sustainable development across the continent. The leaders exchanged views on efforts to resolve conflicts in regions such as the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and Central Africa. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) President El-Sisi reiterated Egypt's longstanding position on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), stressing the urgent need to reach a legally binding agreement regarding its filling and operation. He emphasized that such an agreement would preserve the rights and interests of all concerned parties — Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia — and help ensure regional water security. President Lourenço expressed support for African dialogue and mediation in resolving water-related disputes and affirmed the importance of maintaining stability and cooperation among Nile Basin countries. Signing of Bilateral Agreements The visit culminated in the signing of several memoranda of understanding aimed at expanding cooperation in critical areas, including security coordination, vocational training, and water resource management. These agreements reflect a shared vision for closer collaboration and long-term partnership. President El-Sisi welcomed Angola's growing diplomatic role on the continent and congratulated President Lourenço on assuming the African Union chairmanship. He expressed confidence in Angola's leadership in advancing the AU's Agenda 2063 and supporting African unity. The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of both countries' commitment to multilateralism, regional integration, and the principles of mutual respect and shared prosperity. President Lourenço's visit to Cairo marks a new chapter in Egypt-Angola relations and underscores the importance of African solidarity in facing global and regional challenges.
