Business

NBE Aligns Bank FX Pricing With Customs Rates for Letters of Credit

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — January 17, 2026 The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has announced a new directive requiring commercial banks to use Ethiopian Customs Commission reference prices as indicative rates for selected foreign exchange transactions, particularly those involving Letters of Credit (LCs). Under the new measure, banks will apply customs reference prices when processing

January 25, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

MIDROC Unveils 5-Hotel Expansion Plan Ahead of Ethiopia’s COP32 Hosting

Addis Ababa — MIDROC Investment Group has unveiled a sweeping expansion of its hospitality portfolio, announcing plans to build and acquire multiple internationally branded hotels in Addis Ababa and regional cities, as Ethiopia prepares to host the 32nd United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32) in 2027. The expansion comes amid heightened international attention following the

January 24, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopian Airlines to Suspend Atlanta Passenger Service From February

Addis Ababa — Ethiopian Airlines will temporarily suspend passenger flights between Addis Ababa and Atlanta beginning early February 2026, narrowing the carrier’s U.S. network as it reassesses demand on transatlantic routes. According to schedule data reviewed in mid-January, the airline will operate its final Addis Ababa–Rome–Atlanta service on Feb. 1, with flights ceasing the following

January 23, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ministry of Justice Unfreezes StarPay and YagoutPay Accounts After Compliance Review

Addis Ababa — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice has lifted account freezes on StarPay Financial Technology and YagoutPay Financial Technology, two of ten digital payment platforms placed under investigation late last year, after authorities said a review found no links to betting activities. The two firms were among a group of fintech companies whose bank accounts

January 23, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Channels Over 91% of New Lending to Private Sector in First Half

Addis Ababa — Ethiopia’s largest lender said it directed the vast majority of its new credit to private businesses in the first half of the 2018 Ethiopian fiscal year, underscoring a gradual shift toward private-sector financing as the country pursues economic reform. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia disbursed 321 billion birr ($5.6 billion) in loans

January 23, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Opinion

When Strategic Restraint Is a Virtue: GERD, Nile Politics, and Trump Factor

Moges Zewdu Teshome Sovereignty is not up for sale. At the same time, we live in an era increasingly shaped by the logic of “might makes right,” epitomised by Trump’s transactional diplomacy. This reality demands a recalibrated orientation. Strategic restraint—when applied selectively and deliberately—is not weakness but virtue.” Introduction Ethiopia’s diplomatic landscape—particularly in the context

January 23, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

IFC Considers $80 Million Loan to Back MIDROC’s Sheraton Addis Expansion and New Hotel Project

Addis Ababa, Jan. 22, 2026 — The (IFC) is considering an $80 million A-loan to support the refurbishment of the landmark Sheraton Addis and the construction of a new adjacent hotel by , according to an Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS) disclosed this week. The proposed financing targets two major components: the ongoing remodeling

January 22, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopian Investment Holdings Drives $250 Million Flagship Hotel Push in Addis Ababa

Ethiopia is accelerating a shift toward active ownership of state assets, placing hospitality and luxury hotels at the center of a broader strategy to unlock value from underutilized public land and infrastructure. In a recent presentation, Dr. Brook Taye, chief executive officer of Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), said the government is moving away from passive

January 22, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Business

How Ethiopian Airlines Turned Air Congo Into a Domestic Power

In just 12 months, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s aviation landscape has undergone a tectonic shift. Air Congo, the joint venture between the DRC government and Ethiopian Airlines Group, has officially captured a staggering 43% of the domestic market. The performance marks a significant victory for Ethiopian Airlines (ET), the continent’s largest carrier, as

January 22, 2026 • By Addis Insight

Uncategorized

Ethiopia Trade Ministry Reports $5.1 Billion Exports, 2.3 Million Services in H1 2018 E.C.

Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration said first-half performance in the 2018 E.C. fiscal year exceeded targets across key indicators, underscoring momentum in exports, market access, and digital trade services. Speaking at the ministry’s six-month trade sector performance conference held in Dessie, officials reported that nationwide business registration and licensing delivered 2.31 million online services,

January 22, 2026 • By Addis Insight