Bulldozers raze homes and history as Ethiopia’s PM builds his new Dubai

Tsadik Bayou’s new flat on the edge of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, is little more than a concrete shell.

- Fred Harter

There is no flooring or plaster, and the bare walls are covered in scorch marks left by melting electrical wires.

Five people share the two rooms. Bayou’s mother and sister sleep in the only bed, while he and his two brothers bunk down on the cramped living room floor. “It’s barely fit for humans,” says the 37-year-old construction surveyor.

The family are among the thousands of people who have been uprooted as the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, radically reshapes the city. As the home of the African Union, it has long been the continent’s diplomatic capital. Now Abiy is transforming it into a modern hub, modelled on Dubai, in the hope of attracting wealthy tourists and investors, and reviving a flagging economy.

The pace of change is staggering. Over the past two years, whole neighbourhoods have been razed. The city has a new conference centre, public library and science museum, as well as a string of manicured parks.

Perhaps the most ambitious project of all is a vast new complex in the hills overlooking Addis Ababa, rumoured to include a zoo, artificial lakes and a cable car. Abiy has said it will cost as much as £8bn. He has also started work on Africa's biggest airport, costing £7.5bn. This in a country whose entire annual budget is about £10bn.