GEM tickets THE PRICE of tickets to the main exhibition halls of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has been set at LE30 for Egyptians while tickets for the King Tutankhamun exhibition halls — due to display a huge collection of the ancient Pharaoh's belongings — have been set at LE50, Egypt's cabinet announced on Friday. The cabinet media centre and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities denied reports that the cost of GEM's entrance ticket was LE500 for Egyptians. The price of a package ticket, which will cover each of the main exhibition halls and Tutankhamun halls, is listed at LE60 for Egyptian visitors. Egyptian and other Arab students will get a 50 per cent discount. Constructed nearby the Giza Pyramids on approximately 500,000 square metres, the new GEM will house the world's largest antiquities collection. The mega museum will also feature several entertainment hubs, including restaurants and theatres. The opening of the GEM, the biggest in Egypt's history, is scheduled for the end of the year. The festivities will continue for 10 days. The name of the company organising the opening will be announced this month. Total investment in the GEM stands at around $1 billion.
Promoting economic cooperation THE US CONGRESS has allocated economic grants worth $125 million to Egypt this year and will support the second phase of Egypt's economic reform programme. During meetings with Congressional members in Washington on Saturday, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat stressed the importance of the US economic aid programme to Egypt. Al-Mashat said Egypt appreciated the Congress' role in furthering economic cooperation between the two countries, adding that her country looks forward to advancing the partnership further in a way that meets the interests of both nations. Al-Mashat also met the assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development's Middle East bureau Michael Harvey. USAID is a strategic partner of Egypt in various development projects, including in health, education and economic empowerment of women and agriculture.
Restoring Eiffel bridge EGYPT has signed a deal with France to restore a 150-year-old mini-suspension bridge inside Giza Zoo, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The bridge was designed by French architect Gustave Eiffel who designed the world famous Eiffel Tower. It was designed between 1875-1879, over a decade before the construction of the French tower. The bridge, which has been closed since the 1990s, is scheduled to be reopened to the public once renovation work is complete, allowing visitors to enjoy a panoramic view of the garden, the ministry said. No date has been set for the opening. The ministry described the bridge as one of the most important historical constructions at the zoo, the oldest in Africa.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 5 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
