The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo has delayed its official opening again, now expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, due to regional conflicts including the Israel-Iran war. Originally proposed in 1992 and under construction since 2002, the $1 billion museum has faced repeated setbacks from the Arab Spring, the pandemic, and wars in Gaza and Sudan. When it opens, it will showcase over 100,000 artifacts, making it the largest archaeological museum in the world, with the Tutankhamun galleries as its centerpiece featuring over 5,398 objects from the pharaoh's tomb.
The delay matters because GEM represents a major cultural and tourism milestone for Egypt, aiming to position the country as a global leader in archaeological display. The museum, designed by Heneghan Peng Architects and twice the size of the Louvre and the Met, has already partially opened 11 of its 12 galleries. Its full opening is highly anticipated by the art and archaeology world, as it will reunite thousands of artifacts from Tutankhamun's tomb for the first time since their discovery in 1922, including the iconic death mask and ceremonial objects.