Hargeysa, Somaliland , July 26, 2008 (SL Times) – At least one hundred vulnerable families headed by war widows and disabled veterans received food assistance earlier this week from the International Islamic Relief Organization.

50 sacks of flour and 50 tins of food oil were distributed to the beneficiaries on last Monday with every two families allocated one sack of flour and one can of oil to share.

Leaders of SOOYAAL – an association that represents and is responsible for the welfare of the SNM veterans and widows – thanked the International Islamic Relief Organization for their assistance.

Based in Saudi Arabia , the IIRO has offices in over 70 countries worldwide.

Karam Mohamed Karam oversees the IIRO's operations in Somaliland , Djibouti and Somalia while Khadar Hussein Adan is specifically responsible for running the Somaliland office from Hargeysa.

Both men were present during last Monday's distribution of the food ration to Sooyaal's widows and disabled veterans.

According to Mohmoud Mussa, the head of Sooyaal's department for the disabled, the beneficiaries of the distribution were among the neediest among registered needy families.

Although it is the first time that Islamic relief has given assistance to SOOYAAL's target groups, however the international organization has already distributed food ration in the regions of Togdheer, Awdal and Sahil.

Beneficiaries of the food support program include 1600 families in Hargeysa region, 1500 in Togdheer, 300 in Awdal (Borama) and 250 in Sahil (Berbera) with plans to carryout similar distributions in other parts of Somaliland such as Erigavo.

According to Khader Hussein Adan, the organization is expected to spend close to $150,000 on a food assistance program during this year.

Pointing out that the food items will be purchased locally, Khader stressed that the food assistance program is intended to contribute to the alleviation of livelihood difficulties faced by poorest of the poor in the aftermath of recent sharp rise in food prices.

Dubai's Giant Scouts Ethio-Djibouti Railway, Oil Pipeline

DP World - a state owned company of Dubai's government - has shown a strong interest to enter into the Ethiopian market, eyeing a potential for investment in rehabilitating the Ethio-Djibouti railway line and developing a green project of installing a pipe line for oil, from Djibouti.

Addis Ababa, July 25, 2008 – DP World - a state owned company of Dubai's government - has shown a strong interest to enter into the Ethiopian market, eyeing a potential for investment in rehabilitating the Ethio-Djibouti railway line and developing a green project of installing a pipe line for oil, from Djibouti.

DP World is a subsidiary company of Dubai World, which manages and supervises a diversified portfolio of businesses and projects in Dubai .

A group of 11 have come to Addis Ababa last week, led by Sheikh Sultan Ahmed Bin-Suleiman, chairman of DP-World. He was accompanied by Abdurahiman Boure, a multimillionaire businessman in Djibouti , and chairman of the Djibouti Port Authority. The Port of Djibouti is managed by DP World, under a 20-year management contract.

If realized, not only will these projects require them spend close to two billion dollars, it will also put them on head on competition with the Kuwaitis that have shown similar interests.

Mr. Bin-Suleiman and Mr. Boure spent a day in Addis and met Ethiopian officials, including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, on Thursday, July 10.

The delegation told Meles that the company has interests to get management concessions to operate the 761Km Ethio-Djibouti railway line, and to install a pipeline that runs from Djibouti to Awash area, reliable sources disclosed. It has also requested to be involved in hotel and tourism business.

The delegates are particularly interested in investing one billion dollars for each of the railway and pipeline projects. Meles reportedly emphasized his government's priority in the two projects, and pledged his support, according to these sources.

Suleiman and Boure also met President Girma W. Giorgis, and Abadulla Gemeda, chief of the Oromia Regional State , in the presence of Junadin Sado, minister of Transport and Communications (MoTC), and Alemayehu Tegenu, minister of Mines and Energy (MoME).

Abadulla has promised to make Green Lake , a 53Skm radius lake in Bishoftu (Deberezeit) town available to DP World. Green Lake , one of the seven lakes in the town, is known for its algae and the top sloppy landscape makes convenient for recreational sites, according to Solomon Kebede, deputy mayor of the town.

“We want to make this town [Bishoftu] a prime tourist destination,” Solomon told Fortune. “If this company, with its huge investment ability, enters into our town, we will be delighted.”

Dubai World is Dubai 's aggressive arm of investment both domestically and abroad. It owns diverse and successful companies, including Dubai Ports World, (DP World), P&O, Free Zone World, Dubai Drydocks, Dubai Maritimes City, Dubai Multi Commodities Center, Limitless, Nakheel, Istithmar, Tajri.com, Inchicape Shipping Services and Technology.

DP World is today one of the top three marine terminal operators in the world and built the widest industry network with 51 terminals spanning 24 countries, including the Port of Djibouti . It bought the UK 's P&O Group for 6.8 billion dollars in March 2006, making the largest acquisition in the industry's history, and plans to inject an investment of three billion dollars.

The main purpose of the delegation's visit is to ensure that Ethiopia will continue to use the DP World-managed Djibouti Port, according to a businessman who is familiar with the delegation.

Three businesspeople - Alemayehu Ketema, in construction, Warda H. Graham, in import and export, and Shimeles Kinde, in the IT industry - have facilitated the delegation's visit.

“We appreciate these businesspeople who are lobbying on this huge company to invest in Ethiopia ,” Alemu Sime, commissioner for the Oromia Investment Commission, told Fortune.

Senior ministers from the federal government are also pleased with the visit, for they believe DP World could succeed in its investment in Ethiopia .

“If the company is interested, we will be happy to welcome them,” a senior minister told Fortune.

Another area of interest to DP World is the fuel transportation sector. It plans to develop petroleum to Awash from a future refinery in the Port Djibouti, a news described by an official from the federal government as too good for landlocked Ethiopia . Promoters of the project claim that Ethiopia could save up to 100 million dollars spent on fuel, if this deal succeeds.

Source: Addis Fortune on July 17, 2008

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