Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that the partial trial run of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will begin on Wednesday 16 October, according to the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. This came in a press conference following Madbouly's visit to Esna Temple in Luxor governorate on Thursday10/10/2024. This will mark the first trial run of the museum's main hall and a gradual launch of some other sections in preparation for the grand official opening of this completed project. 'The museum is set to be Egypt's gift to the world, being the largest museum globally,' he said. Since November 2022, GEM has hosted limited events and group visits to some areas in the GEM complex to test site readiness and the visitor experience before the operational trial phase. Located just two kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza, the GEM complex occupies a total area of 500,000 square metres and is home to the world's largest archaeological collection. Upon its official inauguration, the GEM, overlooking t he Giza Plateau, will be the world's largest museum for a single civilisation. The icon of its treasured collection will be all the treasures of Tutankhamun, which will be displayed for the first time since the discovery of his tomb in 1922. Source: State Information Service Egypt