Business

GERD Lake: Africa’s New Inland Sea (74 BCM, 1,874 km², 70 Islands)

Short take: Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has created GERD Lake—a water body big enough to rank among Africa’s giants, with the power to reshape hydrology, ecology, and livelihoods across the Blue Nile. Here’s what its size really means—and why it’s so interesting. How big is “big”? At full supply level (FSL)—about 640 m

August 30, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Al-Amoudi’s Fortune Surges Back to $8B as Preem Battles Energy Market Headwinds

Ethiopia’s Richest Man Rebounds Ethiopian-born billionaire Mohammed Al-Amoudi has seen his fortune rebound sharply in 2025, climbing to nearly $8 billion after a series of strategic moves and despite mounting challenges at his flagship energy company, Preem AB. The turning point came in April when Al-Amoudi sold Svenska Petroleum Exploration, adding $2.2 billion to his

August 30, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

The Big Winners: Ethiopian Investment Holdings’ 2017 Review of Ethiopia’s Economic Giants

Ethiopia’s State Enterprises Post Billions in Earnings in EFY 2017 By Addis Insight Business Desk • Analysis of Ethiopian Investment Holdings Annual Portfolio Review Ethiopia’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain at the heart of the national economy. From telecom revenues and aviation forex earnings to power generation and industrial parks, the EIH 2017 EFY portfolio review

August 29, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Investor Demand Doubles in Ethiopia’s 19.7B ETB Treasury Bill Auction

Addis Ababa – August 29, 2025 – Ethiopia’s latest Treasury Bill (T-bill) auction has shown booming investor interest, with bids coming in at more than double the amount offered, according to data released by CBE Capital Investment Bank. What Happened? On August 20, 2025, the National Bank of Ethiopia offered 19.7 billion birr worth of

August 29, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopia to Ease Bank Lending Cap, Unlocking 1.3 Trillion Birr in Credit

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – August 29, 2025 – Ethiopia is set to lift the long-standing cap on bank lending starting next month, a move that could inject more than 1.3 trillion birr into the economy, according to officials at the Ministry of Finance. The policy shift, scheduled to take effect in September, will allow banks

August 29, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

How Ethiopia’s Economic Future Is Being Anchored in Its Peripheries

For decades, Ethiopia’s economy has been tethered to its central highlands. Addis Ababa’s industrial parks, Oromia’s coffee, and Tigray’s textiles once defined the country’s growth model. That geography now looks exhausted. Years of civil war, insurgency and political strife have hollowed out these “core” provinces, leaving shattered infrastructure, declining exports and weary investors. The government’s

August 28, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Announces New Service Fee Adjustments

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Announces New Service Fee Adjustments Effective September 28, 2025 ADDIS ABABA – The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has announced another round of service fee adjustments, effective September 28, 2025 (Meskerem 19, 2018 EC). This follows last year’s revision on July 26, 2024, when the bank last updated its tariff schedule.

August 28, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Culture

DoubleTree by Hilton Arrives in Addis Ababa, Elevating Ethiopian Hospitality

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s capital just gained a new global landmark in hospitality. DoubleTree by Hilton has officially opened in Addis Ababa, marking the brand’s first hotel in the country and the second Hilton-branded property in the city. Built at a cost of 700 million Birr, the project took 13 years to complete — a

August 28, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Why Dangote Chose Gode: Ethiopia’s $2.5B Fertilizer Gamble

ADDIS ABABA / GODE – Once dismissed as a remote and insecure outpost in Ethiopia’s Somali Region, Gode is now poised to become the centerpiece of one of Africa’s most ambitious industrial investments. In a landmark $2.5 billion deal, Dangote Group and Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) will jointly construct one of the world’s largest urea

August 28, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Boeing Eyes Ethiopia’s Bole Airport for 777X Testing

Boeing Co. is preparing to test its next-generation 777X wide-body at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, in a move that underscores the airport’s growing role in global aviation trials and Ethiopian Airlines’ ambitions to become Africa’s dominant hub carrier. A Boeing delegation met with Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority Director General Yohannes Abera to seek preliminary

August 28, 2025 • By Addis Insight