Minister of antiquities to focus on 9 files during his term

CAIRO – 14 June 2018: Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani sworn in on Thursday to continue assuming his position for the third time, Egypt Today presents nine files, on which the ministry will focus in the upcoming period.

1- One of the most important projects before the Ministry of Antiquities is completing the construction works of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to be inaugurated at the beginning of 2019.

2- The Ministry of Antiquities will continue its efforts to restore smuggled Egyptian antiquities; in the recent period Anani succeeded in restoring many stolen artifacts.

3- Development of the closed museums, such as Kafr El-Sheikh Museum, will be completed as the company executing the construction works of Kafr El Sheikh Museum will continue its construction works, which have been suspended since 2008, based on the protocol signed between the Ministry of Antiquities and Kafr El Sheikh governor.

4- The ministry is working on inaugurating museums located in coastal areas to attract tourists to visit these archaeological museums.

5- The Giza Plateau development project, which stopped after the 2011 uprising, will be fulfilled as a part of the strategy to preserve the plateau’s archaeological heritage.

6- The archaeological area in the sacred city of Abydos, 400 kilometers south of Cairo in Upper Egypt, will be developed as it is one of the archaeological sites rich in monuments of ancient Egypt .

7- The financial crisis facing the Ministry of Antiquities after the 2011 revolution should be resolved as the ministry has suffered from the low income due to low visit rates to museums and archaeological sites.

8- The project to rescue Zoser Pyramid and the Southern Cemetery will be finalized, and 80 percent of the project will be completed during Anani's term.

9- The return of foreign exhibitions, held in the European Union, such as Tutankhamun exhibition should be guaranteed.

Egypt's new Cabinet has sworn-in Thursday, with 12 new ministers taking the oath before President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

Mostafa Madbouly was assigned to be the prime minister and the minister of housing. A total of 15 deputies to ministers were also appointed.

A total of 20 ministers remained unchanged including: Mohamed Shaker, minister of electricity and renewable energy; Mohamed al-Assar, ,minister of military production; Sahar Nasr, minister of investment and international cooperation; Nabila Makram, minister of immigration and Egyptian expatriates affairs; Ghada Wali, minister of social solidarity; and Tarek Shawki, minister of education.