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.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Anani said that the ministry is still suffering from the aftermath of the January 25 Revolution. “Before the outbreak of the revolution, the ministry’s revenues amounted to 100 million pounds [$11.2 million] a month, whereas now they range between 20 million and 26 million pounds a month, nothing more, while we need about 80 million pounds to pay the salaries of the ministry’s employees and staff. We are facing a serious problem in being able to pay salaries, and we are seeking to get a monthly subsidy from the government to fill this deficit, until the situation is back to normal,” he said. 

Anani said the ministry lags behind in securing archaeological sites. “Securing archaeological sites needs billions of pounds. Building a wall or a fence around one site could cost hundreds of millions, so it is not very feasible for the ministry to secure all sites, install surveillance cameras and other security means in light of the current circumstances.”