Overview
- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told parliament the GERD received no foreign loans or aid, citing domestic taxes and diaspora contributions.
- Trump said in Davos the project was financed by the United States and that it "basically blocks the Nile."
- Webuild CEO Pietro Salini said no international lender backed the dam and emphasized it releases water to generate electricity.
- Egypt, which relies on the Nile for about 97% of its water, characterizes the dam as an existential threat.
- The GERD is a roughly $4 billion project with 5,150 megawatts of capacity, making it Africa’s largest hydropower plant by output.