Like many speakers at this year's United Nations General Assembly, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed addressed the unusual circumstances of the 75th session of the General Debate and the impact of the pandemic.
Mr Abiy talked of the collective need to recover from this moment of crisis and to build “a better tomorrow”, but he cautioned that there were no guarantees to being able to stop another global catastrophe without developing resilient and inclusive societies.
He went on to specifically address the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project, which has been the source of tension between his country and Egypt and Sudan. Talks over the project have stalled, in part because Egypt is dependent on the Nile for the majority of its fresh water and says the dam could severely damage its economy once opened. Similarly, Sudan has expressed concern over the project's long-term environmental impact. Water scarcity and supply are key flashpoints for global acrimony and instability, especially so when they are shared resources.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi used his UN address to describe the issue of access to fresh water as an "existential matter" and said that negotiations over the project could not continue indefinitely, especially with "the realities on the ground" changing with every passing day. Around three quarters of Ethiopia's GERD project is complete and a first phase of filling it was undertaken this summer. A second phase is scheduled next year and the facility is due to be fully commissioned in 2023. The clock is ticking ever louder, resolution is required.
Read More from Nick March
Mr Abiy picked up the point this week, framing the dam as the country’s largest infrastructure project and as one that will deliver a number of benefits to Ethiopians and others. Built with local resources, he said, it would contribute to the conservation of water resources that would otherwise be “lost to evaporation” in downstream countries.
If that comment was a rebuke to his country’s critics, he followed it with some conciliation, saying that Ethiopia intends no harm towards its neighbours but that the dam was vital to meeting energy demands in a clean and sustainable way. “We cannot afford to continue keeping more than 65 million of our people in the dark,” he said starkly.
A peacemaker and a mediator – he found a solution to the longstanding dispute with Eritrea shortly after becoming his country’s Prime Minister in 2018, for which he won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize – Mr Abiy also noted that “our stability and development is closely interlinked with the peace and security” of the region.
So, Ethiopia must attempt to do no harm while commissioning the largest hydropower dam in Africa. Egypt is well aware, of course, of the transformative power of such great works, but questions how Ethiopia can solve this complex puzzle.
It is five years since the Suez Canal extension was delivered in Egypt in record time and 50 years since the Aswan High Dam was completed in the country. Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt's charismatic leader and the political architect of this megaproject, died in September 1970, a few months before it was commissioned. The Aswan High Dam is credited with helping to modernise the country, with its turbines generating vast quantities of power, just as GERD seeks to do in Ethiopia.
More recently, Mr El Sisi pressed ahead with the widening of a 37 kilometres stretch of the Suez Canal soon after becoming President. The project has helped to significantly grow revenues from transit fees. When it was inaugurated in August 2015, Mr El Sisi described the extension as a "symbol of the new Egypt and a demonstration of the determination and commitment of the people". Earlier this year, officials said the expansion costs had already been covered.
Both of those projects brought criticism and risk. Observers claimed the canal extension was a rash economic gamble, while the high dam required the extraordinary engineering feat of moving the majestic Abu Simbel Temples before they were submerged by the gathering reservoir of Lake Nasser 50 years ago, as well as the complex relocation of thousands of residents of the area. Both are now seen as key markers in Egypt's nation-building story, just as in the Great Depression of 1930s America, the Hoover Dam helped create jobs and wealth, even as it changed environmental fortunes negatively.
When Mr Abiy accepted his Nobel prize in Oslo last year, he spoke about the decades-long dispute with Eritrea that he was able to find a resolution for. "We understood our nations are not enemies," he said. "We recognised that while out two nations were stuck on old grievances, the world was shifting rapidly and leaving us behind."
The Ethiopian Prime Minister must now walk the tightrope of mediation in an alternative theatre. He must convince his neighbours that the potential for transformation that the Renaissance Dam represents is as vast as Lake Nasser itself, but that it will not be delivered at the expense of Egypt or Sudan.
Mr Abiy will need to summon the spirit of Oslo to move towards an equitable resolution. That will require skilled leadership, commitment and a willingness to negotiate. He has deep reserves of all of those qualities. He will need to draw on them to chart the right course.
Nick March is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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