PRESCIENT PALLIATIVES


PRESCIENT PALLIATIVES

A road around Cassanchis area receives a quick fix as renovation projects ramp up across the capital. Despite the rarity of cement in the country and inflationary headwinds, road renovations have progressed unimpeded in most parts of Addis Abeba. Nocturnal construction workers are increasingly becoming a staple of the night as the capital's road authority juggles increasing vehicle numbers and limited infrastructure. The Ministry of Transport & Logistics has recently signalled a possible restriction on private automobiles allowed to operate during rush hours in a bid to increase public transport traffic flow. Even though Ethiopia only has around 1.5 million vehicles roaming the country, an underdeveloped road infrastructure gives the appearance of being overburdened by cars.

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In-Picture

UNCOVERED WILDERNESS

The long-shuttered plot at Mexico Square finally breathes again as fences come down, revealing a vast open space once hidden from public view earmarked for Abyssinia Bank's future headquarters. The site now stretches bare and sunlit, drawing curious passersby, midday loungers, and a lone umbrella-shaded onlooker. In a city of concrete and congestion, even temporary emptiness feels like a quiet revolution. It now showcases a wilderness in the middle of the busy streets of Mexico...


In-Picture

GO SEEK

Minalesh Tera, one of Addis Abeba's busiest and most chaotic markets, draws hundreds if not thousands daily in search of cheaper essentials. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds navigate narrow, dusty paths between makeshift stalls, where vendors hawk everything from onions and engine parts to plasticware and traditional remedies. It's a sensory overload and a lifeline rolled into one, an open-air maze where the practical meets the unexpected, and affordability drives the city's daily grind...


In-Picture

TERMINAL TREASURES

From left: Jantirar Abay, Deputy Mayor and Head of the Industry Bureau; Ayderus H.M. Farag, CEO of Alfarag Trading PLC; and Getaneh Adera, Acting CEO of Ethiopian Airports, chat during the opening of Alfarag's refurbished duty-free shops at Bole International Airport on June 18, 2025. The two stores, located in Terminal 2's Departure Hall, span 1,000sqm. Alfarag, established in Dire Dawa in 1923, became Ethiopia's first private duty-free retailer in 2003...