One critical bottleneck to low investment performance in Ethiopia had been inadequate promotion of the country’s potentials and its attractive investment incentives. Understanding this daunting scenario, the government attached increasing emphasis on economic diplomacy. Hence, investors of all kinds, including the anchor ones, started to flow to the country’s states and city adminis trations.
To set the way straight for investors, the government also installed industrial parks in places where input is available, in addition to the Parks’ proximity to the country’s major import-export corridor.
Further, universities, colleges and Technical and Vocational Institutions, have busied themselves in fitting their trainings to the demands of investors.
Thus, the economic diplomacy, industrial parks and the education system are all ascribable to the growing foreign and domestic investment in the country. As a result, the number of investors and investment in all cities and the two admini strations, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, is showing remarkable leap over the past decade.
Dire Dawa, a city administration to the east of the country, is one among the investment destinations of the country. Located 449 Kms from Addis Ababa, or around 7 hrs drive (Google map 2018), the city hosts a range of investors who engages in various sectors.
Sources indicate that the investment flow is increasing from time to time owing to the country’s attractive investment packages and the city administration’s efforts, among others.
Most notably, the city administration’s location is in close proximity to the major import-export corridor, Ethio-Djibouti. As has already been discussed above, industrial parks are under construction in Dire Dawa as well while new railway line would integrate the city to Djibouti’s sea port, as Fuad Suge, Dire Dawa Investment Commission Director said.
In addition to this, the 300-km Dire Dawa-Djibouti road is complete, additional opportunity to investors, according to him.
"From the existing investors in the town, 32 of them have been running their business in the areas of chemical, construction, commercial center, food and beverage, hotel and tourism, and agricultural products."
Only this year, these investors have created around 3, 400 jobs to citizens, he said.
To him, in addition to the attractive investment packages that the country generally applies to investors, the friendly and hard working people of Dire Dawa also adds to the success of investment in the city.
To make matters even better, the city has completed first phase of modern industrial park. And the second phase construction is due to start soon, as Fuad indicated.
"The Park is dedicated to textile, accessory and garment, among others."
Lying on 4,260 parcel of land, the Park is envisioned to create jobs to 60,000–80,000 people.
Upon completion, it would host 70 percent foreign and 30 percent domestic investors, according to him.
Dire–in its short version — is well known for its tourist attractions. Added to this is the growing investment which potentially awards dwellers with modest lives.