Good morning, friends and welcome to the fourth installment of Unveiling the GEM. While this is the last of our four-part special series on the Grand Egyptian Museum, the story of the GEM and its impact is one that we will continue to follow closely in the months and years to come. We’ve been fortunate enough to cover and attend events at the GEM for the past five years but on our most recent visit post-opening, it gave us great pride to see the galleries filled with tourists from Egypt and around the world, the restaurants and cafes packed with customers, and the retail spaces brimming with shoppers.

In today’s issue, we take a look at the operational complexities of running a museum of this nature and stature in a conversation with Legacy CEO, Merette Elsayed. We also have a one-on-one interview with Ahmed Youssef, the CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Authority to discuss how the GEM will impact Egypt’s overall tourism promotion strategy. And we bring you part two of our tour inside the GEM including a look at the interactive Children’s Museum.

Nearly 20 days after its grand opening, the Grand Egyptian Museum continues to captivate visitors — prompting many to reshuffle their itineraries in hopes of capturing moments among royal statues and the treasures of Tutankhamun.

The museum has now taken “the toughest decision yet”, GEM CEO Ahmed Ghoneim told EnterpriseAM. With daily footfall averaging around 20k visitors, the GEM introduced separate quota systems for Egyptians and foreigners to ensure smooth crowd management throughout the tourism season without undermining access for either group, Ghoneim added.

Quotas to be reviewed every 2–3 months: A government source told EnterpriseAM that the split will be reassessed every two to three months to keep visitor flows aligned with the museum’s maximum capacity and ensure a seamless experience.

The aim is to regulate entry through fixed time slots and manage crowd levels during the peak winter tourism season, when foreign demand is particularly strong, the source said.

New timed-entry booking system: The Tourism Ministry last Sunday rolled out a timed-entry pre-booking system for all ticket purchases as part of a wider push to upgrade services at Egyptian museums and improve the visitor experience.

The new system is designed to enhance traffic management inside the museum, ensure smooth access, and reflect the GEM’s position as one of the world’s premier cultural institutions. Visitors can now check availability and book through the museum’s official website.

E-booking only from December 1st: Beginning 1 December 2025, ticket purchases for all days of the week — including weekends and public holidays — will be exclusively electronic. On-site ticket sales will be suspended until further notice.

Visitor code of conduct in the works: Work is underway on a formal code of conduct for visitors to ensure the preservation of the museum in a manner befitting one of the world’s most important cultural landmarks, the source told us.

Tour operators welcome the decision: The move was met with approval from tourism companies, Red Sea Tourist Guides Syndicate head Bashar Abu Taleb told EnterpriseAM. The GEM has become a major driver of demand for Cairo excursions, Abu Taleb said. Allocating 40–50% of tickets to foreign visitors “makes sense,” according to Abu Taleb, given the higher foreign ticket price and the industry’s role in supporting FX inflows, as companies settle foreign ticket purchases in USD, he added.

Companies racing to secure bulk ticket allocations: Tourism Ministry has allowed major tour operators to purchase bulk ticket packages for their programs by paying a minimum EGP 1 mn deposit, securing discounts of up to 10%, Abu Taleb said. This has prompted many large operators to drop the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir from their itineraries and switch to the GEM, which continues to generate intense global media interest.

Tags: