{"id":674533,"date":"2025-10-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2025\/10\/30\/were-hours-away-from-the-grand-egyptian-museums-grand-opening\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T00:00:00","slug":"were-hours-away-from-the-grand-egyptian-museums-grand-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2025\/10\/30\/were-hours-away-from-the-grand-egyptian-museums-grand-opening\/","title":{"rendered":"We\u2019re hours away from the Grand Egyptian Museum\u2019s grand opening"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning,<\/strong> wonderful people, and happy last-workday-of-the-week. <\/strong>We close out the week with a brisk issue led by privatization news, with sources telling us that the Madbouly government plans on expanding its privatization program. <\/p>\n

<\/a> BUT FIRST- Don\u2019t forget to turn back your clocks an hour before you go to sleep tonight<\/strong> as daylight saving time comes to an end at midnight. Daylight saving time is a bugbear for some<\/a>, but whatever your opinion, we can all enjoy that one extra hour of sleep tomorrow. <\/p>\n

Some local banks will suspend services at around midnight <\/strong>to upgrade their systems ahead of the time change. This will impact internet banking, e-wallets, mobile applications, and ATMs from late Thursday to the early hours of Friday. <\/p>\n

<\/a> THE COUNTDOWN TILL THE FESTIVITIES BEGINS- <\/strong>We are less than 59 hours away from the highly-anticipated grand opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. All eyes will be on Egypt when the festivities begin on Saturday at 5pm. <\/p>\n

Expect a busy few days in the lead up<\/strong>, with kings, presidents, and high-level delegations from c. 60 countries expected to touch down in Cairo to attend the event. <\/p>\n

FACT CHECK- <\/strong>False reports of road closures in the lead up to the museum\u2019s opening have been put to bed by the Interior Ministry<\/a>. It will be business as usual on all roads and highways, the ministry confirmed. <\/p>\n

Global au<\/strong>diences will be able to livestream the event on TikTok Live at 6pm on Saturday<\/strong>, as part of a partnership between the social media platform and the museum, according to a statement (pdf)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want to submerge yourself in the museum before seeing it officially open its doors <\/strong>through your screens on Saturday? <\/strong>Make sure to check out the first of four weekly EnterpriseAM special issues about the GEM<\/a><\/a>, which should have landed in your inbox yesterday. The issues chart the museum\u2019s journey from the launch of a record-breaking international design competition to the final stages of completion and capturing the challenges, milestones, and unwavering ambition that brought it to life.<\/p>\n

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PSA- <\/p>\n

WEATHER- <\/strong>It\u2019s cooling down in Cairo, with the capital in for a high of 28\u00b0C and a low of 19\u00b0C, according to our favorite weather app.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s more or less the same in Alexandria<\/strong>, with a high of 27\u00b0C and a low of 18\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

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Our coverage of the EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum 2025 continues. <\/strong>This year's forum was packed with actionable intelligence on the future of Egyptian business. To make sure you don't miss a thing, we launched the EnterpriseAM Forum Playback.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every Thursday at 10am, you'll receive a special newsletter breaking down one key session<\/strong> \u2014 from the future of work to getting capital markets off life support. We\u2019ll also drop a companion podcast in our EnterpriseAM Egypt feed so you can listen on the go.<\/p>\n

In this week\u2019s issue, we feature our on-stage discussion with Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Hassan El Khatib<\/strong>, where we talked about facilitating doing business, protectionist measures for local industry, and the latest developments in trade and FDI policy since our last conversation with him at our 2024 Forum.<\/p>\n

Want more?<\/strong> We're soft launching our YouTube<\/a> channel where we've dropped video highlights.<\/p>\n

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WATCH THIS SPACE- <\/p>\n

<\/a> #1- New logistics zones incoming: <\/strong>The cabinet approved a draft presidential decree allocating three plots of state-owned land in North Sinai to the General Authority for Land and Dry Ports, according to a statement<\/a>. The three plots include 603 feddans in Rafah, 352 feddans in Al Hasana, and 527 feddans in Baghdad. The move comes as part of the government\u2019s plan to position Egypt as a global gateway for trade and logistics \u2014 including the development of several logistics zones in Sinai linked to Al Arish-Taba integrated logistics corridor<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Wait, there\u2019s more: <\/strong>The Transport Ministry is reportedly planning to set up an integrated logistics hub in the new capital spanning 318 feddans at an estimated cost of USD 100 mn, Asharq Business<\/a> reports, citing sources it says are in the know. The project will be developed by a private-sector company selected by direct award.<\/p>\n

Part of a bigger plan:<\/strong> The ministry aims to fast-track the project to coincide with the launch of the country\u2019s high-speed rail line, which will be used to transport cargo between the logistics zone and seaports.<\/p>\n

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#2- The deadline for hoteliers to apply for the <\/strong>EGP 50 bn subsidized loan<\/a><\/strong>program<\/a><\/strong> for the tourism sector has been extended by six months<\/strong> and will now run until mid-April, according to a statement<\/a> from the finance and tourism ministries. The program \u2014 which was launched this time last year<\/a> \u2014 offers financing at 12% interest, providing tourism operators with extended support to expand facilities and accommodate an anticipated growth in visitor numbers, with a focus on key tourist destinations in Luxor, Aswan, Greater Cairo, the Red Sea, and South Sinai governorates.<\/p>\n

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Get Enterprise<\/b> daily <\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The roundup of news and trends that move your markets and shape corporate agendas delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n

Subscribe here<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR- <\/p>\n

#1- <\/strong>Chapter Zero Egypt<\/a><\/strong> will hold its flagsh<\/strong>ip annual conference under the theme <\/strong>Net Zero or Net Loss? on Sunday. <\/strong>The event will bring together board members and CEOs from Egypt\u2019s leading private-sector firms, ministers, diplomats, development partners, and climate experts to discuss how to accelerate measurable climate action and sustainable leadership.<\/p>\n

#2- Want to pursue an MBA but not sure where to start? <\/strong>Then you may want to clear your Monday afternoon to attend the SEED Business School Festival<\/a> at the Dusit Thani Lakeview. The event will give you the chance to discover Master\u2019s programs, get your application fee waived, and take part in workshops. The event is free to attend, but make sure to register<\/a> through the SEED Global Education website. The event will run from 4:30-9pm. <\/p>\n

Check out our full calendar on the web<\/a><\/strong> for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.<\/p>\n

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** DID YOU KNOW that we cover <\/strong>Saudi Arabia<\/a><\/strong> and the <\/strong>UAE<\/a><\/strong>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

** Were you forwarded this email?<\/strong> Tap or click here<\/a> to get your own copy delivered every weekday before 7am Cairo time \u2014 without charge.<\/p>\n

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD- <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a busy morning in the international business press<\/strong>, with a slew of Big Tech earnings, along with politics-related updates as Israel continues to strike Gaza despite claiming the ceasefire is still on, and as the Dutch national elections get underway. <\/p>\n

The key takeaways from Big Tech earnings: <\/strong><\/p>\n