meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Grand Egyptian Museum prepares to open

18 October 2023

 

The way Egypt presents its more-than-5,000-year history will be transformed by the end of this year when the Grand Egyptian Museum facing the Giza Pyramids complex on the outskirts of Cairo is unveiled.

Speaking at the site at the end of September, Major General Atef Moftah, general director of the Grand Egyptian Museum Project and Surrounding Area, confirmed that the long-awaited museum project will be ready to open by the end of this year.

“We are now witnessing a dream come true,” he said, speaking through an interpreter. “There were a lot of obstacles with what the world went through in 2020 with Covid-19, and then the economic challenges that came with the conflict in Ukraine, but that is all behind us now.”

Whenever Egypt requests the return of stolen monuments, it usually comes with rejection
Major General Atef Moftah, Grand Egyptian Museum Project and Surrounding Area

National symbol 

The project is an important national symbol for Egypt as it seeks to reclaim control of its history. The large-scale, world-class museum will strengthen Egypt’s requests to return historical artefacts held in museums and private collections worldwide.

“Whenever Egypt requests the return of stolen monuments, it usually comes with rejection,” said Atef.

“The response is why should we return it? It is well preserved where it is now, and Egypt does not have a museum or storage area that can care for the artefacts properly. 

“This is why Egypt needs to have a large building to showcase its history and demonstrate to the world that the country is capable of preserving and properly presenting the history of our ancestors.” 

More than a museum

For construction, the project has been one of the region’s most significant building projects over the past decade. With a built-up area of 430,000 square metres, there were 5,000 men working on the site during the peak construction period.

While the building is named the Grand Egyptian Museum, it also has a conference centre with a 3D cinema as well as retail and food and beverage areas.

“The project is called a museum, but the building is a lot more than just a museum,” says Huibert Vos, project director for the Grand Egyptian Museum for Hill International.

Project timeline

The project took its first steps in 1998 when it was decided that a new museum was needed.

An architectural design competition was launched in 2002, overseen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). The contest initially attracted 1,557 entries from 82 countries. After two rounds of judging, a design from Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects was selected for the project. 

In 2005, the first phase of the construction started with enabling works on the site. The Egyptian government paid for these initial works. The Egyptian government also paid for the project’s second phase, which involved building a conservation centre, with construction beginning in 2006 and completing in 2010. 

The project then secured a funding commitment of 65 per cent for its third phase, involving the museum’s construction, from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). 

The first step that Jica requested was to prequalify and select the project management consultant (PMC).

After choosing a PMC team of US-based Hill International and the local Ehaf Engineers, the prequalification for the project’s main contractor started. This was followed by a tender and the award of a $810m 40-month contract to a joint venture of Belgium’s Besix and the local Orascom Construction in December 2011.

Initially, the Supreme Council for Antiquities was the client body overseeing the project’s construction. 

Four years later, the project was running behind schedule, with only 20 per cent of the works completed. External factors, such as political changes in Egypt, contributed to the slow progress.

The government sought solutions to speed up the project, and the construction was put under the Egyptian Army’s control.

“Within four years and with hard work from the team working on the project, we were able to complete 95 per cent of the work,” said Atef. 

The museum is not just a construction project. The army has had to work closely with the antiquities ministry to arrange the installation of the museum’s artefacts. Atef said this occurred in parallel with the construction to expedite the delivery of the project.

Everyone told us that we could not move the boat to the new building in one piece, but we did it

Another additional aspect of the project is the construction of a building adjacent to the Grand Museum to house two solar boats. These river barges were sealed in pits next to the pyramids to carry the resurrected pharaohs across the heavens.

One of the barges was previously on display in the Solar Boat Museum next to the pyramids and was transferred to the new building in 2021.

“This was a logistical challenge. Everyone told us that we could not move the boat to the new building in one piece, but we did it,” said Atef. 

Tourism boost 

The museum will support Egypt’s plans to reinvigorate its tourism sector. The country recently revealed plans to double the number of visitors over the next five years.

It aims to attract 30 million visitors by 2028 and is on track to receive 15 million tourists this year.

“Egypt is one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and this museum next to the pyramids gives the country another major attraction,” said Atef.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11225019/main.gif
Colin Foreman

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Masdar signs renewables deals in Montenegro

    28 July 2026

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and Montenegro’s state power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) have signed agreements to advance renewable energy projects in Montenegro.

    The agreements cover the joint development of two solar projects with a combined capacity of 150MW.

    The companies have also signed a framework agreement to explore the development of more than 400MW of pumped hydro energy storage projects.

    The projects will be the first to be progressed through a 50:50 joint venture planned by Masdar and EPCG.

    The two companies signed a joint venture agreement in April as part of a wider 2GW renewable energy partnership in Montenegro.

    The latest agreements were signed in the presence of Sultan Al-Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and chairman of Masdar, and Admir Sahmanovic, Montenegro’s minister of energy and mining.

    Masdar has an existing presence in Montenegro through its investment in the 72MW Krnovo wind farm.

    European expansion

    The developer has been accelerating foreign investment plans in 2026. As part of its European expansion plans, it signed an agreement with Spanish energy firm Repsol in June to acquire a 49.99% stake in a local renewable energy portfolio.

    The deal valued the portfolio at €849m ($982m).

    The portfolio comprises 705MW of operational capacity, including 13 wind farms with a combined capacity of 402MW and six solar photovoltaic solar parks with a total capacity of 303MW.

    All the assets entered operation in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The portfolio also includes a pipeline of future wind, solar and battery storage projects with a combined capacity of more than 565MW.

    Growth in Asia

    In April, Masdar signed a binding agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to establish a $2.2bn joint venture to develop, build and operate renewable energy projects across Asia.

    The combined business will have 3GW of operational capacity and 6GW of projects in advanced development, targeted for commissioning by 2030.

    In June, Masdar broke ground on a 1GW wind farm in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region, marking the company’s first renewable energy project in the country. 

    The $1.4bn development is one of the largest integrated wind and battery energy storage projects in Central Asia. It will combine a 1GW wind farm with a 600 MWh battery energy storage system.

    Masdar is targeting a global renewable energy portfolio of 100GW by 2030. It recently reached 65GW, two-thirds of the way to that target.

    The company plans to deploy an additional $30bn-$35bn in equity and project finance by 2030, adding an average of 10GW of new capacity each year.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17792896/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Geopolitics tests Dubai property with hotels hardest hit

    28 July 2026

    Dubai’s residential market cooled sharply in the second quarter of 2026, and the hospitality sector recorded its steepest downturn in years, according to US-based real estate research firm CBRE’s latest UAE market review. Office and industrial real estate, however, continued to defy a weaker macroeconomic backdrop, the report said.

    The figures, published on 28 July, mark a turning point for a residential sector that has driven much of Dubai’s post-pandemic growth story.

    Transaction volumes fell 29% year-on-year to just under 37,000 sales in the second quarter, down from more than 51,000 in the same period last year.

    Total transaction values dropped even further, to AED88bn ($24bn) from close to AED154bn ($42bn) in the second quarter of 2025.

    Rents have moved into negative territory faster than prices. While sales values were still up 1.9% year-on-year, average residential rents fell 2.6% annually and 6.2% quarter-on-quarter.

    About 18,000 new units were completed in the first half of the year, adding to supply just as demand and transaction activity were softening.

    The contrast with Abu Dhabi is stark. The capital’s residential values rose 21.6% year-on-year, powered by 24.4% growth in apartment prices, while rents climbed a further 3.6%.

    Sales values reached AED32bn ($8.7bn), up 150% on the same quarter last year, with transaction volumes up around 80%.

    Off-plan sales accounted for roughly 83% of deals and 85% of value, underscoring investor appetite for new launches even as Dubai’s own off-plan pipeline slows.

    Hospitality bears the brunt

    The hospitality sector recorded the most pronounced downturn of any asset class tracked in the review. Regional geopolitical disruption weighed heavily on international travel demand and airline operations through the first half of the year, with UAE-wide hotel occupancy down 27.7 percentage points year-on-year to June and revenue per available room (RevPAR) down 31.8%, according to CoStar data cited in the report.

    Dubai absorbed the sharpest declines, reflecting its greater reliance on international visitor flows, while Abu Dhabi held up comparatively better on the strength of domestic demand and events-led tourism.

    Operators have responded with staycation packages, domestic tourism campaigns and refurbishment programmes aimed at protecting market positioning ahead of an anticipated recovery in international arrivals.

    Office and industrial hold strong

    Away from housing and hotels, the picture is markedly different. Dubai office rents rose 13% year-on-year, with prime rents up 16% and occupancy at about 94%, as demand concentrated in DIFC, Tecom and DMCC continues to outpace the delivery of new Grade A stock.

    Abu Dhabi’s office market performed even more strongly, with rents up nearly 16% and occupancy at 96%, driven by ADGM-based financial services firms including hedge funds.

    With less than 300,000 square metres (sq m) of new office space due between 2026 and 2027, both emirates face a supply squeeze that is likely to sustain rental growth into next year.

    Retail occupancy remained resilient at about 98% in Dubai and 95% in Abu Dhabi despite softer tourism flows and shifting consumer spending, with Dubai rents up around 3% year-on-year.

    A new wave of retail supply is in the pipeline, led by Al-Khail Avenue in Dubai and the first phase of Saadiyat Grove in Abu Dhabi.

    Industrial and logistics stand out

    Underpinned by government-led localisation programmes, the UAE industrial exports reached AED262bn ($71bn) in 2025, with Operation300bn and Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) continuing to draw manufacturing and logistics investment.

    Abu Dhabi secured AED48.5bn ($13.2bn) in commitments through MIITE alongside new logistics agreements at Kezad. At the same time, Dubai recorded strong rental growth across Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Investments Park and National Industries Park.

    CBRE now forecasts a marginal UAE GDP contraction of 0.04% for 2026, reflecting disruption to trade, tourism and aviation, though it expects a strong rebound in 2027 as regional conditions normalise.

    READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17792437/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait extends deadlines for power infrastructure packages

    28 July 2026

    Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has extended the bid submission deadline for two tenders covering power transmission works at the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential development.

    The first tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the third phase of the development. 

    The bid deadline has been extended to 19 August. The original deadline was 5 August.

    The second tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the fourth phase of the project. 

    The bid deadline for this project has also been moved to 19 August.

    Both projects were initially tendered in May. As reported by MEED, PAHW previously issued addendums for both substation tenders, revising the qualification requirements for bidders.

    According to the revised requirements, contractors must be approved by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy and have experience supplying and installing at least 10 132kV substations in Kuwait.

    The addendums also introduced requirements related to transformer and gas-insulated switchgear manufacturing approvals, as well as operational performance records for installed equipment

    Sabah Al-Ahmad residential city

    Meanwhile, bids were submitted on 16 July for two 132kV underground cable tenders for the South Sabah Al-Ahmad residential development.

    PAHW had tendered the contracts in May.

    The first cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables feeding eight main transformer substations serving the N1, N6 and N11 districts in the project’s fourth phase. 

    According to sources, Egytech Cables, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric, was the lowest bidder with an offer of $42.37m.

    The other bidders include:

    • TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable (China, $44.06m)
    • Riyadh Cables (Saudi Arabia, $44.57m)
    • The Contractor General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait, $46.26)

    The second cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables linked to substations serving the N5, N6, N8 and N10 districts in the project’s third phase. 

    Egytech Cables submitted the lowest offer of $39.95m. TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable submitted a bid of $41.89m along with Riyadh Cables ($42.05m) and The Contractor General Trading & Contracting ($44.97m).

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17786669/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Ashghal tenders northern Smaisma infrastructure consultancy

    28 July 2026

     

    Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has issued a tender for consultancy services related to infrastructure development in the northern Smaisma area.

    The tender was issued on 19 July, with a bid submission deadline of 8 September.

    The scope covers construction supervision consultancy services for package seven (A and B).

    According to local media reports, the scope of package seven A includes the airstrip road, the coastal road and connections to the existing Al-Khor Expressway, spanning an area of about 18.5 kilometres.

    Ashghal floated the main contract tender for this package in March, as MEED reported.

    The contract duration is four years from the start of construction.

    Package seven B includes foul sewer infrastructure, drainage networks and road development works spanning more than 1.3km.

    The latest tender follows Ashghal’s announcement of contract awards for 12 new projects, with a total value exceeding QR4.5bn ($1.2bn).

    According to a notice published on its website, these include six building projects, most notably the redevelopment of Hamad General Hospital, with a contract value of about QR1.1bn ($301m).

    Other projects awarded include the construction of a post office building in Al-Thumama; renovation works at the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club and the Qatar Equestrian Federation; and the implementation of Phase 4 of the Al-Uqda Equestrian Complex development.

    In the roads and infrastructure sector, four projects have been awarded, led by packages one and two of the road and infrastructure development works in Izghawa and Al-Thumaid.

    The awards also include a landscaping project and an air-conditioned walkway at Qatar University, as part of broader public-facilities improvement initiatives.

    UK analytics firm GlobalData forecasts that Qatar’s construction industry will expand by 4.3% in 2026, supported by investments in renewable energy and transportation infrastructure.

    Meanwhile, the Planning & Statistics Authority reports that Qatar’s construction value-added grew by 6.6% year on year in the first half of 2025.

    GlobalData also expects the industry to grow at an average annual rate of 4.6% in 2027-29, supported by investment in construction, energy and infrastructure projects.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17791590/main.gif
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Contractor wins Emaar Oasis The Address villas deal

    28 July 2026

     

    Dubai-based Dutco Construction has won a contract to build the third phase of Emaar’s Address Villas Tierra at The Oasis development.

    The contract was awarded by Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar Properties.

    The scope comprises the construction of 199 Address-branded four-, five- and six-bedroom villas.

    Local firm Mirage is the project consultant. Barajeel Engineering Consultants is the architect of record.

    Site preparatory works are under way, and the project is slated for completion in 2028.

    Dutco is already active at The Oasis. In April last year, Emaar Properties appointed Dutco Construction for the main works on the Mirage package of The Oasis development.

    The Mirage package involves the construction of about 202 residential villas and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

    Local firm X Architects is the project consultant, and Kristina Zanic is the sub-consultant.

    Emaar announced The Oasis project in June 2023. The estimated $20bn development will comprise 7,000 residential units, including mansions and villas.

    The overall development will cover more than 9.4 million square metres. The developer has said that more than 25% of the land will be dedicated to lakes, canals, parks, jogging tracks, green spaces and other amenities.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17791774/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal