CAIRO: Nestled near the iconic Giza pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is preparing for a lavish opening, featuring a towering statue of Ramses II and more than 100,000 artefacts, including Tutankhamun’s golden treasures.
After two decades of planning, the GEM is set to open fully on July 3, following a partial opening in October.
Its long-awaited debut comes after years of delays caused by political instability, economic crises, and the global pandemic.
Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum’s director, said the inauguration could span several days, with celebrations extending beyond the museum and pyramids to sites across Egypt and even abroad.
“It will be a spectacular showcase of Egypt’s historical and touristic potential,” Ghoneim told Egypt’s ON TV.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has invited US President Donald Trump and Spain’s King Felipe VI to attend the ceremony.
“This museum is the (world’s) largest museum for a single civilization, which is the Pharaonic civilization,” El-Sisi said in December.
Spanning 50 hectares (120 acres), the GEM is twice the size of both Paris’s Louvre and New York’s Metropolitan, and two and a half times the British Museum, according to its director.
Statue of Ramses II
“The landscape of Egypt contributed to this rich civilization and we wanted to reflect that in the design,” said Roisin Heneghan, co-founder of Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects — the firm behind the museum’s design.
“You see the pieces in the museum in the context of the pyramids. You are reminded of the place where this all happened,” she told AFP.
An 11-meter (36-foot) statue of Ramses II greets visitors, leading to a grand staircase lined with statues of pharaohs, gods and sarcophagi, and ending at a window framing the pyramids.
Currently, 12 galleries display around 15,000 artefacts arranged chronologically from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period.
They include Queen Hetepheres’s treasures, such as her intricately carved armchair, in sophisticated lighting after years of being tucked away in the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square.
Even before the official opening, the museum left some of its first visitors awestruck.
“I cannot get over how the lighting is. It is just atmospheric and helpful, and you end up just drawn to everything that is around,” said Philippa Hunt, a tourist from the United Kingdom.
South African visitor Leon Wolmarans said the GEM was a significant upgrade from the old one.
“This is much better organized, much better lit. The architecture is impressive,” he told AFP.
Among the most anticipated displays for the grand opening are the treasures of Tutankhamun, including his iconic gold mask, which will take pride of place in a dedicated gallery.
Attracting tourists
More than 5,000 Tutankhamun artefacts have been transferred to the GEM, though his full collection, including his sarcophagus and the embalmed remains of his daughters, will be revealed at the official opening.
The GEM will also showcase the 44-meter-long cedarwood solar barque, buried near the Great Pyramid around 2,500 BC.
Another boat, still being restored, will offer an immersive experience, with visitors watching conservators at work over the next three years.
With cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality and interactive exhibits, the GEM promises a fresh take on storytelling, making history come alive for younger generations.
The museum website lists entry prices starting at 200 Egyptian pounds (about $4) for adult nationals, and 1,200 pounds for foreigners.
Beyond archaeology, the GEM is central to Egypt’s efforts to revive an economy battered by inflation and debt.
With tourism recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the GEM is expected to attract five million visitors annually, adding to a record 15.7 million tourists in 2024.
Elhamy Al-Zayat, former chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, said the museum’s proximity to the newly opened Sphinx International Airport, the pyramids and a growing number of nearby hotels will be a game-changer for Egypt’s tourism sector.
“There will be easy transportation options to and from the museum, making it accessible from anywhere,” he told AFP.
“This will definitely transform Egypt’s tourism industry.”
Egypt’s gem of a museum gears up for grand opening
https://arab.news/zkfxa
Egypt’s gem of a museum gears up for grand opening
- Grand Egyptian Museum is set to open fully on July 3, following a partial opening in October
- Inauguration could span several days, with celebrations extending beyond the museum and pyramids to sites across Egypt and even abroad
- GEM is twice the size of both Paris’s Louvre and New York’s Metropolitan, and two and a half times the British Museum
Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Aidrous Al-Zubaidi Flees to Unknown Location
- Aidrous Al-Zubaidi fails to board plane bound for Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidrous Al-Zubaidi has fled to an unknown location.
Major General Al-Malki announced that on Jan. 4, 2026, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition informed Al-Zubaidi that he must travel to Saudi Arabia within 48 hours to meet with President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) of the Republic of Yemen Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and the Coalition Forces Command to address the reasons behind the escalation and attacks by forces affiliated with the STC on the governorates of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.
On Jan. 5, the Presidency of the STC reiterated its appreciation for the efforts led by Saudi Arabia in preparing for a comprehensive Southern conference to discuss ways to resolve the Southern issue, and affirmed its active participation in ensuring the conference’s success.
Consequently, Al-Zubaidi informed the Kingdom of his intention to attend on Jan. 6, and the delegation proceeded to the airport.
However, the departure of Yemenia Airways flight IYE 532, scheduled for 10.10 p.m. and carrying the delegation, was delayed for more than three hours. The legitimate government and the coalition received intelligence indicating that Al-Zubaidi had moved a large force—including armored vehicles, combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, and ammunition—from the Jabal Hadid and Al-Solban camps towards Al-Dhale' around midnight.
Subsequently, the aforementioned flight was allowed to depart, carrying a large number of STC leaders but excluding the council's head Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, who fled to an unknown location.
He left the members and leaders of the STC without any details regarding his whereabouts. This occurred after he distributed weapons and ammunition to dozens of elements inside Aden, led by Mu'min Al-Saqqaf and Mukhtar Al-Nubi, with the aim of creating unrest in Aden in the coming hours.
This prompted the National Shield Forces and the coalition to request Vice President of the Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami (Abu Zara'a) to impose security, prevent any clashes within Aden, spare its residents any disturbances, protect lives and property, and cooperate with the National Shield Forces.
The coalition forces monitored the movement of the aforementioned military units as they emerged from the camps and took up positions in a building near Al-Zand camp in Al-Dhale' Governorate. At 4 a.m., coalition forces, in coordination with legitimate government forces and the National Shield Forces, launched limited preemptive strikes to disrupt these forces and thwart Al-Zubaidi's attempts to escalate the conflict and extend it into Al-Dhale'.
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen affirms that it is working with the Yemeni government and the local authority in Aden to support and maintain security efforts and confront any military forces targeting cities and civilians. The command urges all residents to stay away from camps in Aden and Al-Dhale', avoid any gatherings of military vehicles for their own safety, and provide information to security agencies regarding any suspicious military movements.
