Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb inspected on Saturday the new Grand Egyptian Museum to check work progress and ensure the timeline is being followed for its opening by end of this year.
Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty and Giza Governor Ali Abdel Rahman were in his company.
During the tour at the museum, Mehleb listened to detailed explanations about the stages of the current work and those that have been concluded.
A total of 12,000 antiquities have been renovated to be displayed at the museum, Damaty said adding that other 5,000 pieces will be renovated within a period of six months.
Mehleb praised the work done and said that “the museum location facing the Pyramids is one of finest places across the world.”
The museum is being built on an area of 117 acres on Cairo-Alexandria desert road. It’s scheduled to contain around 100,000 antiquities that show development of Pharaonic civilization. The project is being carried out through three phases at costs of around LE5 billion including a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency which facilitated US$300 million to fund the third phase to be paid back 10 years after the opening of the museum at very low interests. The last phase will take around 40 months starting signing of the contract. The museum is set to be opened in an international ceremony in August.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
