Pyramids of Giza tourist experience to be revamped in $51 million project

The National

28-04-2025

The visitor experience at the Pyramids of Giza will be revamped as part of a $51 million initiative, the Egyptian government has revealed. The Giza Plateau is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, famous for its pyramids and the Great Sphinx. The site, however, is also notorious for its poor management, hawkish sellers and reports of animal abuse. The new initiative, spearheaded by Orascom Pyramids Entertainment Services Company, aims to address these complaints. Better preservation measures, tomb restoration and improved animal treatment are among the key goals of the project. A new visitors centre and an online ticketing platform are also in the pipeline. Certain aspects of the revamping plan have already been implemented. A fleet of 45 electric buses have been introduced to site. The buses are scheduled to run every five minutes. The plan will also tackle traffic and overcrowding issues at the site. A new access point to the site was set last week, but it was met by protest from local vendors. Tour operators blocked traffic into the premises as they rallied against their relocation to the parking area, saying the move will hurt their business. Naguib Sawiris, founder of Orascom Telecom Holding and Orascom Investment Holding, said vendors who refused to relocate will be held accountable. 'They should go to their designated zones as planned by the state and stay away from the bus routes to avoid disrupting the tourist experience,' he wrote on X. 'Those who refuse should be banned to preserve this historic district. Public well-being is far more important than catering to the interests of 2,000 individuals who have caused harm to the country for years.' Plans to revamp tourist experience comes in the lead-up of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Located 2km from the Pyramids of Giza, the museum is set to officially open in July, following years of delays. A number of the halls are already open to visitors. Egypt is one of the region's top tourist destinations. According to Wego, the country has been topping its list of top international trending destinations since the online travel marketplace began tracking numbers in 2014. The company recently released its 2025 statistics and Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan and the UAE are ranked in the remaining top five respectively. 'Egypt and Saudi Arabia have consistently held leading positions on our platform, a reflection of their strong outbound and domestic travel appetite, well-established tourism infrastructure, and year-round demand,' said Mamoun Hmidan, chief business officer at Wego. 'This upward trend has remained steady for over a decade, supported by increased connectivity and evolving traveller preferences.'