CAIRO — Heads of state, royalty, and dignitaries from around the world gathered in Cairo on Saturday for the glittering inauguration of Egypt’s long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), a $1 billion cultural landmark situated near the iconic Pyramids of Giza.
The event marked the culmination of more than two decades of planning and construction, which faced repeated delays due to political unrest, the Arab Spring, the COVID-19 pandemic, and regional conflicts. “We’ve all dreamed of this project and whether it would really come true,” Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said, describing the museum as “a gift from Egypt to the world.”
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President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, addressing the ceremony, declared the GEM’s opening as “a new chapter in the story of this ancient nation’s present and future.” The grand spectacle featured fireworks, lasers, dancers in pharaonic costumes, and performances by Egyptian pop stars and an international orchestra.
Among the prominent guests were German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, and the crown princes of Oman and Bahrain.
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The museum’s centerpiece is the world’s largest collection of artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb — including his golden mask, throne, and sarcophagus — alongside a towering statue of Ramses II that now greets visitors in the grand hall.