Addis Ababa to get New over $350 million Convention Center, Addis Fortune

The Addis Abeba City Administration plans to invest over 10 billion Br for a new exhibition and convention center to be built in the heart of the capital. The Convention Centre will occupy nearly 10ha of land encompassing a 24,000sqm area that is owned by the Exhibition Center & Market Development Enterprise at Mesqel Square.

The project will be the largest conference and exhibition place in the city, replete with conference halls, a “seven-star” hotel, a flexible exhibition center and a parking lot that accommodates over 2,500 vehicles. The center will also feature a museum inside its premises according to the plans.

The planned auditorium and conference halls will sprawl over 17,000sqm, while the total area designated for conference and exhibition space is 57,000sqm. The halls are designed to accommodate flexible spaces ranging from 4,000sqm to 12,000sqm.

“While the demand has been growing, supply has remained constant for years,” said Tamrat Admasu, general manager of the Enterprise. “That is why the construction of the center became essential.”

The existing center has served as the lone location for exhibitions and expos since its establishment in 1983 by the city administration. It currently hosts three pavilions of different sizes that can each hold up to 90 booths and an open space with a capacity for 140 stalls. A fourth pavilion is rented to outside businesses as a concession for gymnasium services, and another four cottages and a traditional restaurant are located within the compound.

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