DBKL and Addis Ababa City Hall Formalise Collaboration to Strengthen Urban Development Ties

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has deepened its international engagement by formalising a collaboration document with the Addis Ababa City Hall, marking a significant step in strengthening ties between the two capital cities. The exchange took place in Addis Ababa on Wednesday and was witnessed by the city’s mayor, Adanech Abiebie.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the partnership carries strategic value for Kuala Lumpur as the city expands its global network and learns from the development approaches of East Africa.

“The cooperation formalised today opens new opportunities for Kuala Lumpur to enhance its technical capacity and align our urban strategies with current needs,” Zaliha said after the signing ceremony.

Five Key Focus Areas in the Collaboration

In a social media statement, Zaliha outlined the five priority areas covered under the collaboration document:

• Waste management and circular economy

• Tourism, culture and sports

• Institutional capacity development

• Public park management

• Flood mitigation and climate resilience

“These focus areas reflect a shared commitment towards building more resilient, planned and sustainable cities,” she added.

Supporting Kuala Lumpur’s CHASE City Vision

Zaliha noted that the partnership complements ongoing efforts under the CHASE City vision, Kuala Lumpur’s framework for sustainable, adaptive and people-focused urban development.

“Technical exchanges with Addis Ababa can strengthen Kuala Lumpur’s urban policies, particularly in planning, green spaces, mobility and climate adaptation,” she said, highlighting potential opportunities for joint training programmes, knowledge sharing and collaborative development projects.

Such international cooperation also reinforces Kuala Lumpur’s ambition to remain competitive as a global city—an effort that indirectly supports broader market activity involving commercial property in KL, office space in Bukit Jalil, and industrial growth linked to industrial land in Selangor, factory hubs in Puchong, and industrial property in the Subang area.

Part of Prime Minister’s Official Visit to Africa

Zaliha is currently in Addis Ababa accompanying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his official visit to Ethiopia. Ethiopia is Malaysia’s 26th largest trading partner in Africa and the prime minister’s first stop on his African tour.

From Addis Ababa, Anwar will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit from Nov 20 to 23, before continuing to Nairobi, Kenya, from Nov 23 to 24.