Addis Ababa

SAUDI Star Agricultural Development, an Ethiopian company owned by billionaire Mohamed al-Amoudi, said it plans to invest US$100 million in a rice farm in western Ethiopia next year to kick-start the stalled project.

The company leased 10,000 hectares (24,711 acres) in the Abobo district in the Gambella region, where it's based, in 2008 and bought the 4,000-hectare Abobo Agricultural Development Enterprise from the government 18 months ago for 80 million birr (US$4 million).