Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum Delay Puts Tourism Hopes On Hold: Here’s More To Know About The Causes And Effects

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

The Grand Egyptian Museum, sitting adjacent to Egypt’s celebrated Pyramids of Giza, has been nan linchpin of nan country’s eager scheme to revitalize and turn its tourism industry. But 1 much postponement of its star-studded opening has near galore successful nan manufacture erstwhile again reeling, particularly those who were counting connected nan museum’s debut arsenic a awesome jolt for Egypt’s moribund tourism sector. This delay, which had nan arena primitively group to uncover connected July 3, 2025, now brings nan arena precocious into nan last 4th of nan year. For nan owners of mini businesses, circuit operators and countless others successful nan tourism sector, this is much than an inconvenience — it is yet different rustle to an manufacture already connected nan separator of collapse.

Mona, a souvenir shop proprietor adjacent nan Grand Egyptian Museum, had put each her money connected nan museum’s opening. “I was prepared for this,” she says, pinch a statement of frustration. “I moreover sewage a indebtedness to renovate my shop and acquisition inventory based connected nan museum’s exhibits. And Mona’s shop, nan visitors successful hunt of souvenirs gone, is eerily quiet, pinch delays continuing to stall Egypt’s long-anticipated rebound successful tourism.

An Historic Dream and Its Economic Significance

The Grand Egyptian Museum has been 2 decades successful nan making and was projected to present a immense boost to Egypt’s tourism industry. Its celebrated proximity to nan Pyramids of Giza, 1 of nan Seven Wonders of nan Ancient World, was to service arsenic its eventual lure for tourists. Its main draw, nan treasures of King Tutankhamun, had group astir nan world eagerly awaiting their unveiling. With figures predicting it would tie up to 5 cardinal visitors each year, nan depository promised to beryllium 1 of nan world’s starring tourer destinations.

The Grand Egyptian Museum, for many, was nan salvation of nan Egyptian tourism industry, which has faltered successful caller years. Political turmoil, economical meltdowns and nan ravages of nan COVID-19 pandemic had each dealt their blows, but nan opening of nan depository was meant to beryllium a turning point. The museum’s arrival, they said, was apt to assistance sales, create jobs and rehabilitate nan region’s stature arsenic 1 of nan world’s astir visited destinations — and nan reception from mini business owners that dangle connected tourism for their livelihood.

But nan second months of adjacent twelvemonth must now beryllium written disconnected arsenic hopes of nan second are dashed for now. “We budgeted our full summertime and autumn packages astir nan depository opening,” says Nadine Ahmed, a 28-year-old circuit usability pinch Time Travel Tours. “But pinch nan group cancellations, refunds and routing changes, we’re retired tens of thousands of dollars.” For businesses for illustration Mona’s that had stocked up connected museum-themed products, nan rustle is deep, dealing yet different setback to recovery.

Ripple Effect successful Tourism Sector Giza-wide

The ripple effect of nan hold reaches acold beyond nan museum’s walls. Giza is capable to support a acold much bustling economy, pinch its bustling bazaars, souvenir shops, and section markets fueled by nan wide inflow of visitors who travel to spot nan Pyramids. The Grand Egyptian Museum was projected to tie a immense number of tourists, not conscionable to nan museum, but to nan surrounding area. Mohamed Mamdouh Khattab, who manages a jewelry festivals a mates of streets from nan square, had hired and trained further staff, expanded his banal and planned for months successful advance. The opening of nan depository will beryllium a awesome milestone,” he says while conceding, that without it, his business will beryllium looking astatine an uncertain future.

The ripple is moreover felt successful much obscure industries connected to tourism. Small businesses, from papyrus workshops to vicinity restaurants, had geared up for nan other business. “Tourism represents astir 10 percent of nan full activity unit successful Egypt,” said Ragui Assaad, an economist astatine nan University of Minnesota. “But that manufacture has faltered, peculiarly since nan Arab Spring successful 2011, attacks by militants and nan world pandemic. The depository mightiness person been nan changeable successful nan limb that nan manufacture severely needed.”

Some signs of a betterment person emerged, but they still lag significantly. Egypt received 3.9 cardinal visitors successful nan first 4th of 2025, a 25 percent summation complete nan aforesaid play past year. Although this is an encouraging sign, nan losses incurred during years of stagnation person not been recouped. The museum’s opening had already been postponed excessively galore times, galore fear, for Egypt to afloat beryllium connected its feet erstwhile 2025 comes around, including nan travel of visitors that nan Grand Egyptian Museum was expected to bring pinch it.

A Ray of Hope: The Potential of Spectacular Cultural Events

People successful Egypt person traditionally sewage a boost from nan buzz of hosting large taste events. And nan 2021 Pharaohs’ Golden Parade and reopening of nan Avenue of nan Sphinxes person been crippled changing successful position of boosting tourer numbers. The episodes were beardown reminders of Egypt’s taste history, luring visitors who want to spot nan country’s millennia-old wonders.

Sara Mahmoud, a circuit guideline astatine Giza papyrus workshop, says she hopes that nan eventual opening of nan Grand Egyptian Museum will person a akin impact. “Big openings make a batch of tourism successful Egypt,” she says. “These activities trigger excitement — we were location erstwhile nan masses came retired for nan Pharaohs’ Golden Parade.” The planned opening of nan Grand Egyptian Museum could bring nan aforesaid benignant of momentum that powered Egypt’s tourism bubble successful 2021, but it’s excessively soon to cognize for sure.

As an economist, Ragui Assaad will show you nan value of nan Grand Egyptian Museum arsenic a catalyst for financial revival cannot beryllium exaggerated. “Anything that creates much overseas speech net straight would astir apt gain a affirmative nett benefit,” he says. With treasures and humanities artifacts, nan depository provides an entree paper to a world audience, helping to thrust tourism and support Egypt’s overseas rate reserves.

The Tenuous Tightrope: Tourism, Economy, and Security Issues

That Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s determination to again push backmost nan opening date, this clip to nan 4th fourth of 2025, was a consequence of some location information issues and ambition to shape a “global-scale” alternate to nan world title was overtly clear. The stakes for Egypt are high. The caller argumentation is offered arsenic portion of an effort to easiness nan strains of a steep devaluation successful nan Egyptian pound, which has mislaid two-thirds of its worth since 2022, connected nan country’s economy. Inflation is soaring and families are struggling to get by.

For Mona and chap Giza mini business owners, that hold plays retired arsenic a maddening irony. “There were days erstwhile I didn’t waste much than 1 bracelet,” she says wistfully, evoking nan clip of busloads of tourists. “Tourism successful Egypt is not conscionable business — it is families’ food, it is their breadstuff and butter. It provides for my family and my community. Without it, everything feels uncertain.”

The Grand Egyptian Museum, whenever it opens, will correspond a immense measurement guardant for Egypt’s tourism industry, but nan state must now fig retired really to support nan momentum of nan past fewer years, successful spite of nan challenges ahead.

References: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, 2025 Annual Report connected Egypt’s Tourism Sector, Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics