The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opens officially on Saturday after decades of delays, with comprehensive airport preparations and live broadcasts of the ceremonies. It is the world's largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilization, housing 57,000 artifacts. The project cost $1.2 billion, largely funded by Japanese loans.
Construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum began in 2002 on the Giza Plateau, about two kilometers from the Pyramids, spanning 23 years due to delays from the revolution, funding issues, and recent regional events like the war in Gaza. The Egyptian Space Agency released satellite footage documenting the phases, shared on the Egyptian Cabinet's Facebook page.
The museum houses 57,000 artifacts, 30,000 displayed for the first time, including the complete Tutankhamun collection of 5,800 pieces. Designed on 490,000 square meters by Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects, it features the Ramses II statue, a Grand Staircase displaying 70 monumental pieces, and Tutankhamun halls allowing visitors to explore the tomb as Howard Carter did. Former Director General Tarek Tawfik said: "Visitors will discover the tomb exactly as [Howard] Carter did."
The project cost $1.2 billion, with $750 million in Japanese loans from 2006 and 2016, to be repaid over 20 years with a 10-year grace period. Saturday is a national holiday, with screens in public squares for live broadcasts, produced by Saadi Gohar's Mediahub. It will not open to the public until after the three-day celebration, coinciding with the 103rd anniversary of Tutankhamun's tomb discovery.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced completed preparations at Cairo and Sphinx International Airports for official delegations, with maximum readiness levels and event screenings. EgyptAir serves as the official carrier, alongside multilingual banners about the museum.