Cairo: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the importance of meticulous preparations for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to reflect its status as a global cultural and archaeological landmark. He also highlighted the need to enhance the visual identity of the surrounding area.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the comments were made during a meeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy. Presidential Spokesman Mohamed El Shennawy reported that President El-Sisi was briefed on the execution and logistical details, as well as preparations for the various events planned for the museum's official opening on November 1st.
Updates on the completed phases of the project and ongoing development efforts in the surrounding area were also discussed. Minister Fathy presented the latest updates on the tourism investment portfolio, highlighting the state's commitment to attracting further investments in the sector.
Fathy noted that there is a consistent increase in global demand for Egyptian tourism, supported by efforts to develop the tourism product, expand into new formats, intensify promotional campaigns, and improve service quality. In response, President El-Sisi emphasized the role of the private sector in boosting tourism investment, enhancing infrastructure, diversifying destinations, and creating a comprehensive marketing strategy targeting new markets.
The President also stressed the importance of maximizing foreign currency revenues from tourism and ensuring a sustainable ecosystem. The meeting addressed ways to advance the tourism sector and develop hotel facilities to accommodate more tourists.
Fathy highlighted that the tourism sector is experiencing its highest growth rates and is a top contributor to foreign currency inflows. He outlined recent measures to stimulate the sector, particularly in facilitating the conversion of land and buildings for hospitality use and increasing vacation rental units to expand hotel capacity.