May 1, 2005
Diamond time
Q: How does Ethiopia's richest man tell the time? A: He doesn't. He just looks at his wrist and counts his diamonds.
Here is a detail that I just spotted in a picture I took of Mohammed Al Amoudi at Axum airport after the arrival of the third and final piece of the obelisk. (Here is the full photo.) As I wrote below, the Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire flew in unannounced to the celebrations in his gleaming 737. Both the jet and the watch are perfectly in keeping with a man who owns the Addis Ababa Sheraton, a surrealy luxurious chunk of marble in the centre of the capital.
A lot of people I know here have a problem with the Sheraton. It takes a while to get used to the jolting contrast between the top-rank hotel and the shacks that run up alongside it. Personally, I think it is something that Addis needs. Just like the capital's newish airport, it raises the country's profile. And where else would Ethiopia's regular stream of concerned celebrity visitors like Brad Pitt stay?
Posted by aheavens at May 1, 2005 5:36 AM
Comments
well, it is not his watch or his diamonds that have become the talking point of the last few days but rather the T-shirt he is wearing. The bee sign on his T-shirt and the words "vote EPRDF" underneath.
I believe he has every right to support who he likes but may be loose some of his popularity
Posted by: GM at May 2, 2005 7:46 PM
The man who thinks the Al Amoudi will lose popularity because he supports the EPRDF is stuck in the past. EPRDF is the best govt. Ethiopia has ever had.
Posted by: GM's Boss at May 2, 2005 11:01 PM
with all due respect to your opinions,first of all Al Amoudi has every right to support who he likes,second his choice is right because the other contesting parties did not come up with sound economic and social policies that could challenge the ruling parties polices.
Under such circumstances what shall he do? support EPRDF!!!!!!And the same is true with me.
Victory for EPRDF!!!!!
Posted by: Zerihun G.mariam at May 6, 2005 3:20 PM