By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Ethiopia, 10 January 2026 Officials in Ethiopia's Somali Regional State held a meeting to fast-track the $402 million Mieso- Dire Dawa road project, a key infrastructure boost for the region.
The meeting, held on Friday in Jijiga, was attended by Somali Regional State’s Vice President Ibrahim Osman Farah, Water Resources Minister Abraham Belay, construction company officials, and regional leaders.
The leaders expressed the importance of completing the project on schedule, highlighting its importance in the advancement of transportation and the economic growth of the region.
More from Ethiopia
The Mieso–Dire Dawa road is crucial in the infrastructure development of Ethiopia, particularly in the Eastern Economic Integration and the Addis Ababa–Djibouti transport network. The road strengthens the connectivity between Oromia and the Somali Region as well as Dire Dawa City Administration.
The construction of the road is planned to take 4 years, and is expected to be 144 kilometers long, equipped with all the necessary modern infrastructure.
The project is funded by the World Bank while Chinese companies, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Sichuan Road and Bridge Group, are the constructors.
