Egypt delays opening of massive new museum
'In view of the ongoing regional developments, it was decided to postpone the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which was scheduled for July 3,' the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said in a statement.
Spanning 50 hectares, the GEM is twice the size of both Paris' Louvre and New York's Metropolitan, and two-and-a-half times that of the British Museum, according to its director.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told a press conference on Saturday that the grand opening would be delayed until the last quarter of this year.
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,' he added.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has previously described the GEM as 'the largest archeological museum in the world dedicated to one civilization.'
The opening of the massive, ultra-modern museum situated near the Giza Pyramids has been repeatedly delayed over the years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons.
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