The Ministry of Antiquities has been facing many challenges of late amid successive economic crises and the decline of tourism in Egypt. Lack of funding has been at the core of the ministry’s problems, which is hindering many security measures needed for archaeological sites and delaying the start of major projects.
However, Khaled al-Anani, who became minister of antiquities March 24, has been trying to think outside the box in search of other alternatives for financing. He has been working on promoting tourism by creating new tourist attractions. He opened the royal rest house of King Farouk for visitors after it had been closed for five years, following the January 25 Revolution. Anani also announced the inauguration of the Mallawi Museum in September. On Aug. 13, 2013, the museum was stormed by 13 thieves, who stole 1,040 artifacts, following the completion of restoration works.
