MH Gets 40 Million Br Contract to Design Ethiopia's Largest Stadium

By Dawit Endeshaw

The Federal Sports Commission (FSC) has awarded a close to 40 million Br contract to MH Engineering Plc for the design, supervision and contract administration of a new stadium, which will accommodate 60,000 people - double the capacity of the National Stadium.

The agreement was signed by Messle Haile (PhD), MH's general manager, and Sport Commissioner, Abdisa Yadeta, at a ceremony held at the Kuriftu Resort in Bishoftu (Debre Zeit), on Monday, October 7, 2014. The contract includes 24 million Br for design and a 640,000Br monthly fee for at least two years while the construction lasts - amounting to at least 39.3 million Br.

The tender was announced two years ago, but was delayed because of complaints from bidders over the outcome of the tender. Three out of the seven bidders were selected on architectural creativity; these included JDAW Consulting Architects & Engineer, Yohannes Abey Consulting and MH. MH emerged as the winner in both the technical and financial evaluation.

The new Adey Abeba stadium, which could cost around two billion Birr, according to Tibebu Gorfu, facility director at the FSC, will be built on the grounds of FCS Sports Academy, along the ring road near Bob Marley Square at the old Imperial Hotel. The Sports Academy rests on 67ha of land, with 30ha already dedicated to the construction of a swimming pool, volleyball field, basketball field, football field and other additional facilities.

So, the remaining 27ha will be used for the new stadium. The whole plot was given to the Commission by the government for the success of the Ethiopian football team in the tenth African Cup of Nations in the 1980s.

"The project will be wholly financed by the Ethiopian government, and we have already received 205 million Br for initial works, before the construction begins," said Tibebu.

MH will finalise the design by February, Messele says. It will be the first Ethiopian stadium built to fulfil the requirements of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) for World Cups and Olympic Games, says Messle.

According to the document - FIFA: Technical Recommendation and Requirements for Football Stadiums - such stadiums built for hosting World Cup final games should have at least 60,000 seats, parking spaces for 10,000 cars and a 100sqm warm up area for each team.

"Other additional requirements are related to the safety of the spectators, surveillance, the technological inputs needed for the stadium, space that has to be left for different stakeholders and other general requirements," said Messle. "MH Engineering's design will be conducted in accordance with this document."

MH Engineering Plc, established in 1997, has previously been engaged in the design, supervision and contract administration of stadiums in Bahir Dar, Gambella, Assosa and Nekemte. The Bahr Dar Stadium is now the largest in Ethiopia, with 50,000 seats. The company has also conducted more than 400 buildings and 15 road projects over the past 10 years, according to its website.

source: AllAfrica.com