Grant Thornton (GT), formed a joint venture with a local firm, AW Thomas Consulting to join Ethiopia's professional services market, Fortune reported.

GT firms in Oman and Yemen has entered into a joint venture agreement with AW Thomas Consulting to create Grant Thornton Ethiopia.

Grant Thornton and AW Thomas signed the joint venture agreement in July 2012, according to Melaku Abeje Tesema, managing partner at AWT.

Grant Thornton Ethiopia was initiated over a year ago, when the managing partners of the Middle Eastern firms – Nasser Al Mugheiry from the Oman office, and Ramzi Al Ariqi and Talal Thabel, both from the Yemeni firm – discussed with the Ethiopia's AW Thomas to discuss the possibility of a joint venture.

“We had been hoping to have an international partner,” said Kedir Musa, project advisor at the new firm. “We hope that their experience will boost our share in the market here in Ethiopia.”

Grant Thornton Ethiopia will be officially inaugurated on Tuesday, November 19, 2013, at the Sheraton Addis Hotel.

Grant Thornton, world's sixth largest professional services network, will be the third global professional services firm to establish its office in Ethiopia, alongside Earnest Young and Deloitte.

Source: Fortune