Ethiopia completes Nile Dam, invites Egypt to inauguration

Shafaq News – Addis Ababa

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday the completion of work on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a multi-billion-dollar hydropower project on the Nile River that has long fueled tensions with downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan.

Speaking before Ethiopia’s parliament, Abiy declared, “The work is now completed, and we are preparing for the official inauguration.” He addressed Egypt and Sudan directly, saying, “To our neighbors downstream, our message is clear: the Renaissance Dam is not a threat but a shared opportunity.”

Abiy also extended a formal invitation to Egypt to attend the inauguration ceremony planned for September, once the rainy season concludes, presenting the dam as a platform for regional cooperation rather than confrontation.

Located in the northwest of the country, around 30 kilometers from the Sudanese border, the $4.2 billion dam stretches 1.8 kilometers in length and stands 145 meters tall. Once fully operational, it will have the capacity to hold 74 billion cubic meters of water and generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity.

Before the Ethiopian announcement, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed Cairo’s firm stance, stating the country “will not allow, under any circumstances, any infringement on this existential matter or Egypt’s historic share of Nile waters.”

In remarks cited by Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm during a televised interview, Abdelatty stressed that Egypt reserves the right to defend itself and its water interests if they come under threat. He noted that Egypt’s annual water needs exceed 90 billion cubic meters, while its share of Nile water amounts to just 55.5 billion cubic meters.

Both Egypt and Sudan have repeatedly objected to Ethiopia’s unilateral filling and operation of the dam, demanding a legally binding tripartite agreement on its management before further steps are taken.