Board of Directors of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities approves continuation of reducing annual visiting permits' prices to museums, archaeological sites

CAIRO – 28 April 2021: The Board of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities approves the continuation of reducing annual visiting permits prices to museums and archaeological sites open for visits for Egyptians.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, headed by Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled el-Enany was held on April 28 at the ministry's headquarters in Zamalek, where a number of decisions were taken to develop the services presented to visitors heading to museums and archaeological sites, raise tourism and archaeological awareness among the Egyptian people and stimulate the movement of cultural tourism.

One of the most important of these decisions was the approval of the continuation of the reduced prices of annual visiting permits for students of schools, universities, Egyptian and Arab visitors and residents to encourage them to visit museums and archaeological sites open to visitors, especially students from all educational levels, to connect them with their country and their ancient civilization, making only minor adjustments in the prices of tickets for Egyptians to visit some museums and archaeological areas.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, explained that the annual visit permits include three types: visiting permits for Egyptians and Arabs residing at a cost of L.E 400 per year, permits for students of public, private and international schools at all educational levels at a cost of L.E 50 per year and permits for Egyptian and Arab university students residing at a cost of L.E 125 per year, which allows the holder to visit all museums and archaeological sites open to visitors except the tombs of King Siti I, King Tutankhamun and King Ramses II in the Valley of kings and Queen Nefertari’s Cemetery located In the Valley of the Queens on the western mainland of Luxor, the Pyramids of Giza from inside, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat, and the Great Egyptian Museum of Archery. 

As part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' keenness to upgrade the level of services provided to visitors of museums and archaeological areas and their work to develop them, the Board of Directors of the Supreme Council of Antiquities approved the sponsorship proposal provided by the National Bank of Egypt to provide and develop services provided to visitors and tourists in some museums and archaeological sites with a budget of L.E 20 million, within the framework of the protocol of cooperation signed between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the National Bank of Egypt {NBE}.

NBE has also previously sponsored the development of services at some archaeological sites with a budget of L.E 8 million.

To support the tourism sector and its employees and mitigate the economic effects of the global pandemic, the Board of Directors agreed to continue to provide full exemption from the rental value of bazaar tenants and cafeterias in museums and archaeological sites under the Supreme Council of Antiquities. 

As for the months of May and June 2021, and as an assurance for the previous decision, the board also decided to grant a 50 percent reduction in the prices of tickets for foreigners to be at the price range of foreign students visiting areas and archaeological museums open to visitors in the provinces of Qena, Luxor and Aswan during the month of June, July and August, to encourage cultural tourism in Upper Egypt during the summer season.