Egypt is back in the international spotlight as the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) gears up to officially open its doors in November after years of anticipation. The official inauguration of the USD 1.2 bn museum — complete with 5.6k artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb — is expected to draw in mns of tourists and give the economy a boost, the Financial Times reports.

Big hopes for the world’s largest museum for a single civilization: Authorities hope GEM will help push tourist numbers to a record 18 mn in 2025, up from 15.7 mn last year, bolstering one of the country’s main sources of FX. While Red Sea resorts have been the biggest driver in tourism recovery, sources the FT spoke to believe the official opening of the museum could “reposition Egypt in the global luxury and heritage spotlight.”

Where things stand: Tourism revenues were up during 9M 2024-2025, rising 15.4% y-o-y to USD 12.5 bn, supported by a pickup in tourist nights to 134.3 mn from 116.4 mn, according to the latest figures.

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