Grand Egyptian Museum Officially Opens

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) officially opened on November 1 in a ceremony led by President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi and attended by roughly 79 official delegations, including numerous heads of state, with hundreds of international journalists present. Overlooking the Giza Plateau near the Pyramids, the billion‑dollar complex—built with technical and financial support from Japan—spans roughly 480,000–500,000 square metres and is being billed as the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilisation. The GEM houses more than 100,000 artefacts and, for the first time, displays the full contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb together (about 5,000–5,500 items), alongside highlights such as Khufu’s 4,600‑year‑old solar boat, an 11‑metre statue of Ramses II, a world‑class conservation centre and immersive exhibition spaces. The inauguration featured lavish performances, a drone light show and symbolic acts by visiting leaders, and the museum is scheduled to open to the public on November 4. Egyptian and international experts say the GEM is expected to boost tourism—projections reach about 8 million visitors annually—enhance Egypt’s cultural diplomacy and renew discussions about repatriation of antiquities.