Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has inaugurated the Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, a mega-development, and a part of the ongoing Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development Project, otherwise known as the “Sheger Beautifying Project”.
Meskel Square features an artificial lake, moveable trees, artificial lights, and a massive underground parking lot with the capacity to accommodate approximately 1,400 vehicles. It is designed to allow vehicles to travel under the surface of the square leaving the ground level free for pedestrians.
The project also includes six LED screens and around 30 retail shops, a library, café, and restaurants and statues that are registered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) highlighting the cultures and traditions of all the nations and nationalities within the East African country.
The project was kick-started on June 2020 and was set to be completed in four months’ time for the celebration of the Meskel festival, however, it was delayed due to the global pandemic and the foreign currency crunch.
About the Sheger Beautifying Project
The Sheger Beautifying Project is a project sponsored by the Ethiopian government and backed by its Chinese counterpart. It aims to increase tourism and quality of life, reduce the effects of climate change, and create jobs in Ethiopia’s capital city by developing green spaces from Entoto to Akaki.
Also Read: Phase 2 construction of Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development in Ethiopia begins
It was launched in February 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and it is planned to be implemented within a span of three years. It is being executed by First Highway Engineering Company, a subsidiary of the state-owned China Construction Company (CCCC).
