​ Ethiopia is set to host the Addis–Sharjah Business Forum this week, bringing together investors and enterprises from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ethiopian businesses to bolster trade relations, promote cross-border investment, and establish new market linkages.

​The forum is jointly organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (Addis Chamber), Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the UAE Embassy in Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian Embassy in the UAE.

​The business-to-business (B2B) platform will connect Ethiopian manufacturers, service providers, exporters, and importers directly with Sharjah-based executives and investors operating across diverse economic sectors. The sessions aim to facilitate commercial partnerships, unlock investment opportunities, and expand international market access for participating businesses while enhancing local companies’ global competitiveness.

​Organizers confirmed that the Addis Chamber has finalized preparations to support local participants spanning key growth sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, services, and trade.

​A central highlight of the event will be the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Addis Chamber and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The agreement aims to solidify institutional cooperation in trade and investment promotion while facilitating closer ties between the business communities of both regions.
​The Addis Chamber continues to lead efforts to attract foreign direct investment to Ethiopia—particularly Addis Ababa—by organizing trade delegations, facilitating international commercial partnerships, and opening global market access channels for local enterprises.

​The forum reflects rapidly expanding economic ties between Ethiopia and the UAE. Figures cited by event organizers indicate that bilateral trade surpassed $6 billion in 2025, underlining the strategic value of deepening bilateral commercial collaboration.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Mines has signed a tripartite agreement with GCL Energy Investment (Ethiopia Branch) and Jurong Group Holdings Co., Ltd. to advance the construction and processing components of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

The agreement marks a new stage in Ethiopia’s efforts to expand natural gas development, following a strategic framework agreement signed by the parties in May 2026. The latest deal is expected to accelerate the second phase of the LNG project and strengthen the development of the country’s natural gas industry.

GCL has been involved in upstream gas development in the Ogaden Basin, located in Ethiopia’s eastern Somali Regional State, where it established the country’s first skid-mounted LNG liquefaction unit at the Calub gas field. Jurong Group brings experience in natural gas liquefaction, storage, transportation and international trade, supported by operations in China’s Xinjiang region and other markets.

Ethiopia’s newly appointed Minister of Mines, Alemtsehay Paulos, called on both companies to use the agreement to accelerate construction of the initial module of Phase II, with the aim of bringing the facility into operation as quickly as possible.

Under the agreement, Jurong Group will contribute its expertise in project management, storage infrastructure and cross-border trade corridors to support the expansion of the Calub gas field project.
Wang Dong, executive president of GCL Group and president of GCL Africa Industrial Group, said the partnership would accelerate engineering and development work toward an integrated natural gas industrial chain covering extraction, processing, transportation and downstream applications.

The project forms part of Ethiopia’s broader ambition to expand domestic energy production, diversify its energy sources and develop industrial uses for natural gas.

However, several key commercial and technical details of the new agreement have not yet been publicly disclosed, including the total contract value, financing arrangements, planned capacity expansion, operating costs and processing fees.
The initiative also complements efforts to promote natural gas as an alternative fuel for transportation and industry. In May 2026, GCL Africa Industrial Group conducted road tests under a project to convert Ethiopian buses from conventional oil-based fuels to natural gas.

The broader programme is expected to support vehicle conversion, the development of compressed natural gas (CNG) and LNG refuelling stations, and the expansion of natural gas distribution for industrial and other domestic uses.
According to information provided by the companies, the first phase of the LNG project is located at the Calub gas field in the Ogaden Basin. Construction began in July 2024, and the facility reportedly entered operation on October 2, 2025.

The first-phase facility was designed to process 200,000 cubic metres of natural gas per day and produce 50,000 tonnes of LNG annually.

The development of subsequent phases is expected to build on this initial infrastructure and expand the role of natural gas in Ethiopia’s energy sector.

Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) is accelerating the implementation of 18 major electricity infrastructure projects to strengthen the national grid and improve power supply reliability ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32), scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa in November 2027.

The projects include the installation of mobile substations, upgrades to transformer capacity, transmission line improvements and the deployment of a battery energy storage system (BESS). The initiative aims to strengthen the electricity network, meet growing demand and improve supply reliability in key areas of the capital, including Bole Lemi Industrial Park and the ICT Park.

Moges Mekonnen, communications director at EEP, told Capital the programme combines infrastructure expansion with technologies designed to improve grid flexibility and operational efficiency.
“The programme encompasses three key substation initiatives: two mobile substations, upgrades to a permanent facility and a battery energy storage project,” Moges said.

Mobile substations will give EEP greater flexibility to respond to temporary increases in electricity demand by deploying additional capacity where it is needed. Procurement of the mobile units is nearing completion, with supplier selection and design approvals approaching finalisation.

Ethiopia’s selection to host COP32, following the endorsement of the African Group of Negotiators, is expected to provide the country with an opportunity to showcase its renewable energy resources and green development ambitions on the international stage.

Ethiopia generates most of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower, supplemented by wind and geothermal energy. However, its heavy reliance on hydropower leaves electricity generation vulnerable to seasonal rainfall fluctuations and drought.

The government is also pursuing universal electricity access within five years through grid expansion and off-grid solutions. Despite progress in expanding connections, access remains uneven between urban and rural areas. The figures provided put urban electricity access at 94.7%, compared with 43.6% in rural areas.

The 18 infrastructure projects are focused on strengthening the grid in Addis Ababa and other selected locations rather than addressing the country’s entire electricity access gap.

To accommodate rising electricity demand without building entirely new transmission corridors, EEP plans to replace existing conductors on selected power lines with higher-capacity alternatives. The utility is also expanding capacity at selected substations in and around Addis Ababa and in Wolaita Sodo.

Battery Storage and Grid Modernisation
The planned battery energy storage system is expected to support grid stability by helping balance electricity supply and demand during periods of peak consumption. Battery storage can also help manage fluctuations in electricity supply, although its effectiveness will depend on the system’s capacity, configuration and operating arrangements.

EEP has not yet disclosed the battery system’s exact capacity, location or technical specifications.

The projects are expected to be financed through a combination of EEP’s internal revenues and external funding.

The broader modernisation effort received a boost following Parliament’s approval of a $145.8 million concessional loan from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) for the Power Sector Reform and Modernization Project.

Arifpay Financial Technologies S.C. and KLIK Investment PLC have signed a strategic partnership agreement aimed at expanding digital payment services and technology-driven business operations in Ethiopia.

Under the agreement signed in Addis Ababa on October 19, KLIK will introduce Arifpay’s digital payment solutions to restaurants within its partner network, including point-of-sale (POS) and QR-code payment systems.

The partnership will also cover payment gateway services and bulk payments, while creating opportunities for the two companies to undertake joint marketing and promotional activities in the future.

KLIK operates a technology-based delivery service across Addis Ababa, providing delivery of food, groceries, pharmaceutical products, parcels, books, gifts and business logistics.

The company uses electric bikes and digital tools, including live delivery tracking, delivery confirmation and operational dashboards, to manage its services.

The companies said the partnership will combine Arifpay’s digital payment infrastructure with KLIK’s delivery network and business partnerships to make electronic transactions more accessible and convenient for businesses and customers.

The agreement is also expected to support efforts to improve business efficiency and accelerate the adoption of digital services in Ethiopia.

Arifpay provides payment gateway and other digital payment solutions designed to facilitate electronic transactions through supported payment methods.