The opening of the massive, ultra-modern museum situated near the Giza Pyramids has been repeatedly delayed over the years due to political instability, the Covid pandemic and other reasons [GETTY]
Egyptian authorities announced on Saturday that the long-awaited inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) would be delayed again, this time due to escalating regional tensions.
“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.
The opening of the massive, ultra-modern museum situated near the Giza Pyramids has been repeatedly delayed over the years due to political instability, the Covid pandemic and other reasons.
Spanning 50 hectares (120 acres), the GEM is twice the size of both Paris’s Louvre and New York’s Metropolitan Museum, and two and a half times that of the British Museum, according to its director.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during 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 al-Sisi has previously described the GEM as “the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to one civilisation”.
World leaders and statesmen, including former US president Joe Biden and Spain’s King Felipe VI, were invited to attend the July inauguration.
The latest delay comes as Iran and Israel are engaged in the most intense exchange of fire in their history, sparking growing fears that the Middle East could be on the verge of a broader conflict.
