EGYPT'S First Lady Mrs Suzanne Mubarak Thursday night presided over a meeting by an ad hoc committee in charge of building and equipping the Children's Museum in the Cairo neighbourhood of Heliopolis . The total budget of the museum, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has totalled $20 million, Mrs Mubarak said. The museum, built on an area of 13.5 acres and due to open next January, will provide children with a variety of experiences that give them the intellectual, emotional, physical and social skills that will last a lifetime, she said. Mrs Mubarak explained that children learn best when provided with nurturing and creative environment that support play, imagination, curiosity and discovery. The three-storey museum, which is almost complete, features thirteen permanent interactive exhibits that will provide the Egyptian children with information about their history, culture and scientific advancement, the First Lady told the meeting, which was attended by senior members of the Heliopolis Integrated Development Society. "The museum will encourage children to express their opinions, understand the views of others and build critical problem solving skills for life-long learning," Mrs Mubarak told the meeting after inspecting the work site of the project, which has been implemented by foreign and local donations. Mrs Mubarak told the meeting that the mission of the Children's Museum is to create an advanced place, where play and learning connect. She said that the museum, which is expected to be one of Cairo's top cultural attractions, promotes cultural understanding among Egyptian children. "It will display age-appropriate exhibits and audio-visual experiences for the children," Mrs Mubarak said, adding that the items on display will focus on science, math, literacy, arts, and all aspects of the Egyptian culture.
