Big Egyptian Museum Opens Today with Participation of 79 Official Delegations

SadaNews - This evening, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will witness the opening of the Big Egyptian Museum, with the participation of 79 official delegations, including 39 led by kings, princes, and heads of states and governments, according to a press statement.

The opening of the Big Egyptian Museum represents an "exceptional event in the history of culture and human civilization, reflecting the international community's interest in the ancient Egyptian civilization and Egypt's unique cultural and humanitarian role," according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency on Friday evening.

After extensive preparations and several postponements, the Big Egyptian Museum in Cairo will officially open this evening, marking an event anticipated to be a major milestone culminating the authorities' efforts to develop the tourism sector.

This vast museum is dedicated to the Pharaonic civilization, which spans over 30 dynasties and 5,000 years, providing a panoramic view of the Giza Pyramids.

It took more than 20 years to build the museum, which features modern design and high-ceilinged halls, and its construction costs exceeded one billion dollars. It is expected to attract 5 million visitors annually to explore halls that include symbolic artifacts and others displayed for the first time.

The official spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, Ambassador Mohamed Shanaoui, explained that the participating delegations include kings, queens, crown princes, princes, and members of ruling families from Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Japan, and Thailand.

Additionally, presidents from Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Portugal, Armenia, Germany, Croatia, Cyprus, Albania, Bulgaria, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Eritrea, the Knights of Malta, as well as the president of the Libyan Presidential Council and the head of the Yemeni Leadership Council will participate.

Prime ministers from Greece, Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, and Uganda will also attend the ceremony.

Furthermore, the celebration will also see high-level ministerial and parliamentary attendance from Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Qatar, Morocco, and Tunisia.

He mentioned that similar delegations will come from Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Austria, the United Kingdom, France, the Vatican, Malta, Romania, Russia, Ireland, Serbia, Turkey, Italy, Singapore, India, Kyrgyzstan, China, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

Ministers and parliamentarians from Zambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, South Africa, Gabon, Chad, Kenya, Rwanda, Togo, alongside Brazil, Canada, and the United States, will also be present.

The spokesperson pointed out that the event will also have representatives from regional and international organizations, including the Secretary-General of the Arab League and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The President of the African Union Commission, the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Arab Parliament, and the head of JICA, along with several heads and representatives of major global companies, will also attend.

The spokesperson noted that this "unprecedented representation and attendance for the opening of the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization reflects international interest in the Egyptian state's vision of combining the grandeur of the past with the creativity of the present and the prosperity of the future." It also "affirms Egypt's unique position as a cultural bridge between all peoples of the world that love culture and peace."

Recently, authorities and Egyptian media have celebrated the museum, which represents "Egypt's gift to the world," and its opening is regarded as "a historic event" and "a new chapter in the history of Egyptian civilization," and "a dream worthy of Egypt, with its civilization that extends over thousands of years."

Details of the preparations have remained confidential, and authorities have not disclosed the opening program nor the museum's main attraction: the treasures of Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore 4,500 funerary artifacts from a total of 5,000, which have been distributed across various sites, including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square, once the museum opens its doors to the public starting Tuesday.

Last week, President Sisi chaired a meeting with senior officials to monitor the preparations for the museum's opening.

Sisi emphasized, according to a statement from the presidency, the necessity of organizing an opening ceremony "worthy of Egypt's status, reflecting its leadership in the field of museums and world culture, and contributing to enhancing the tourism promotion of the country."

He confirmed that "the image of the celebration should reflect not only the greatness of this global edifice but also the magnitude of the accomplishment and development that the Egyptian state is witnessing in various fields, in line with its civilizational status in front of the world."

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly also visited the museum late Tuesday to oversee the "final touches" in preparation for the "grand" opening ceremony, according to the Prime Ministry, which reported his emphasis on its presentation "in a manner that suits Egypt's status and cultural heritage."

Madbouly expressed that "the world is waiting for what Egypt will offer next Saturday," as he put it.

The opening of the Big Egyptian Museum has been postponed several times for various reasons, some linked to the wave of protests during the "Arab Spring" or the COVID-19 pandemic. After authorities set the date of July 3, 2025, for the museum's opening, they decided to postpone it again due to regional tensions at that time, particularly the war in Gaza and the aftermath of the Iran-Israel war.

Madbouly stated at the time: "In light of what is happening in the region at this time... we found it appropriate to postpone this significant event so that it retains the necessary global momentum and takes place in suitable circumstances."

It is worth noting that the vital tourism sector in Egypt has begun to recover in recent years.

Tourism revenues reached 14.4 billion dollars in the fiscal year 2023-2024, an increase of 34.6 percent compared to the previous year, with a record number of tourists since the pandemic.

Egypt received 15 million visitors during the first nine months of the year, an increase of 21% compared to the same period last year, with revenues of 12.5 billion dollars (an increase of 14.7%), according to official figures.

Authorities expect the number of tourists this year to reach 17.8 million and rise to 18.6 million in 2026, boosted by beach tourism and cultural tourism.