The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is nearing its grand opening, with the government adding the final touches ahead of the highly-anticipated full opening after significant delays thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war. In today’s HardHat, we look at what has been done, what is left to get down, and what we can expect when the government officially raises the curtains on GEM.

Construction completed, infrastructure work underway: Construction work on the GEM has been fully completed, with work now focused on finalizing key infrastructure projects in the surrounding areas to ready the site to make its official debut, Maj.Gen. Atef Moftah, who is supervising the project, told Enterprise. The electrical grid is being upgraded and new rainwater drainage systems are being installed in the surrounding areas, he said, adding that work is underway to complete the construction of walkways connecting the museum to the area near the Mena House Hotel.

Refresher: The government announced earlier this year that all works on the museum would conclude in February, with the official opening to follow shortly after. The museum has been partially open for some time now, hosting a number of events and exhibitions, but the galleries displaying its permanent collection have not been open to visitors.

A landmark state-of-the-art project: Spanning 300k sqm, the GEM is a huge project. The museum's exhibition space alone covers 45k sqm, while an additional 55k sqm have been allocated for commercial and retail development in partnership with private sector players — about half of which are already operational, according to Moftah. The project utilized the latest tech and was meticulously planned — it received the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) EDGE Advanced Green Building Certification, becoming the region’s first museum to receive the certificate.

In numbers: “GEM's resource efficient and climate-smart design and construction is helping the museum save more than 60% in energy costs and reduce water use by 34% compared to a conventional building of its type and size,” according to the IFC.

GEM could also stand for the Green Egyptian Museum: A dedicated 1 GW solar power plant has been set up to supply the museum with energy, with plans to eventually expand the plant's capacity to 10 GW as energy demands grow, according to Moftah. The museum also features a massive 300 cubic meter rainwater harvesting tank, allowing captured precipitation to be filtered and reused, reducing reliance on municipal water sources.

A net-zero museum? Moftah told us that the museum was built with carbon emission reduction mechanisms installed to achieve near-zero emissions. This includes using eco-friendly materials, relying on solar energy for lighting, and utilizing electric golf carts to lower emissions. GEM aims to become the world’s first museum to achieve zero carbon certification, with plans to secure the certification shortly after the museum becomes operational, according to Moftah.

GEM carbon certificates? The Madbouly government plans to issue carbon certificates for the museum once it begins operations, Moftah told us. Last month, Egypt launched its voluntary carbon trading market — the first in Africa. The market allows companies to issue and trade voluntary carbon certificates in Egypt and Africa, which can be bought by other companies wanting to offset their emissions.

Connecting Cairo’s past and present: The Transport Ministry is working on a corridor that will link GEM to the Giza Plateau, creating a seamless connection between two of Egypt’s most iconic sites. The museum will house over 100k artifacts, with around 20k on display and the rest securely stored in state-of-the-art scientific storage facilities to be studied and preserved. Specialized storage units for organic materials such as wood and leather, as well as for metals and stones, are also part of the museum's extensive infrastructure.

What remains to be done: Only minor tasks remain, such as the finishing touches on the surrounding areas, according to Moftah, who added that the museum itself, its outdoor spaces, landscaping, and the installation of electromechanical systems and smart communication and security systems has all been completed.

No impact from the March float: Moftah told us that the major construction and infrastructure work were completed before the float of the EGP in March hit construction costs — the project's value has significantly increased due to the ongoing rise in costs.

Ushering a new era for tourism in the capital: GEM is set to revolutionize Cairo's appeal as a tourist destination once operational, Moftah told Enterprise. Currently, most tourists spend only “one or two nights in Cairo before embarking on their tours to other tourism destinations like the Red Sea or other leisure tourism spots. However, the goal is to extend the average Cairo visit to three to five nights with the museum's opening and the development of surrounding areas, with a focus on cultural and eco-tourism,” Moftah told us.

Your top infrastructure stories for the week:

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  • East Qantara Dry Port to kick off operations mid 2025: New Suez Canal for Dry Ports and Logistics Services plans to start operating the East Qantara Dry Port by mid 2025, with 70% of the port’s superstructure having already been completed.
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