Today's Edition
CAIRO (AGENCIES)
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Saturday that Egypt would postpone the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), set for July 3, to the last quarter of 2025 due to the deteriorating security situation in the region, according to Ahram Online.
Situated near the Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum is a monumental architectural and cultural project, including the full collection of King Tutankhamun displayed together for the first time in history.
In view of current events, "we believed it would be appropriate to delay this big event so that it can maintain the appropriate global momentum", Madbouly added.
Once officially inaugurated, GEM is expected to become one of the most significant cultural destinations in the world, symbolizing both the legacy of ancient Egypt and the ambition of modern-day Egypt.
The GEM is twice the size of both Paris's Louvre and New York's Metropolitan, and two-and-a-half times that of the British Museum, according to its director.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has previously described the GEM as "the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to one civilisation".
World leaders and statesmen, including former US president Joe Biden and Spain's King Felipe VI, were invited to attend the July inauguration.
