Potential for Addis Ababa to Become a Global City

[ArchGuy1]

Do you think that Addis Ababa, Ethiopia will become a global city like Dubai has become in the past 20 years. Dubai has built the world's tallest building, become a major tourist destination, a major financial capital for the Middle East, and a major airline hub for Emirates. Since Addis Ababa is poised to become a major hub for Ethiopian Airlines once COVID-19 is done, do you think Addis Ababa will become a major financial hub and tourist destination for East Africa. I feel that an architectural landmark or more than one that would become world famous should be built. Examples could include an observation tower, observation wheel along the lines of the London Eye, or a world class museum. A heavy rail subway system for use as public transportation should also be built to complement the light rail. Along with this, business friendly tax policies should be put in place.

[llamaorama]

Those things you mention would be appropriate investments if Addis was trying to move its economy towards a certain kind of tourism AND it had money to burn.

Ethiopia had one of the world's lowest GDP per capita until extremely recently and is still extraordinarily poor. I think what makes it fascinating now is the rapid pace of infrastructure development and urban planning that's occurred in its cities versus other places in Africa and the "third world". Like in only a few years they've built the light rail, a urban freeway system and national long distance highways, a double track main line railroad out to Dijbouti with a modern intermodal/container freight terminal on each end, etc. As well as hydroelectric dams, a new power grid, etc. And a lot of the growth in Addis has been in planned apartment districts with functioning sewer and water and electricity and schools and buses, etc, rather than just an endless carpet of slums like you'd find flanking Caracas or Manila or something.

But then stuff like theme parks and international destinations, that's really what countries with massive amounts of oil money they can't even figure out how to spend do. Ethiopia isn't really that kind of place IMO.

[MolsonExport]

Not for at least 40 years. It is just too poor, and too remote from developed markets.