Project News

Dr. Mostafa Baghdadi, Deputy Project Manager of the Project Management Consultant, Hill-EFAF Joint Venture (left)

On 28th of April, 2013, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)-Conservation Center (GEM-CC) hosted a high-level delegation, composed of ambassadors, spouses of ambassadors, consuls, counselors and secretaries of embassies of fourteen Asian countries in Egypt. Those are, in the alphabetic order, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Iran, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Korea, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand and Vietnam. The purpose of this visit was to introduce the on-going GEM construction and exhibition project, the GEM-CC project and their importance in Egypt and in the Middle East and Africa regions, and to call possible and further assistance and cooperation from these Asian countries to GEM and GEM-CC projects.

The delegation was first welcomed by Dr. Hussein Bassir, Director General of the GEM in a welcome reception. Then, the GEM construction project, the GEM-CC and JICA GEM-CC project were introduced by presentations of Dr. Mostafa Baghdadi, Deputy Project Manager of the Project Management Consultant, Hill-EFAF Joint Venture, Dr. Hussein Kamal, Technical Director of the GEM-CC and Mr. Naohiko Kawakami, JICA expert of the JICA GEM-CC project, respectively.

Dr. Mostafa threw light on the GEM construction and exhibition project and gave the overview images how the GEM will be finalized after construction and some exhibition plans were also shown.

Dr. Hussein described a brief overview of the GEM-CC. In his speech, he explained the vision of the GEM-CC as to be a regional center of excellence for conservation and collection care and an international research institute as well as its role and activities.

Mr. Kawakami explained that through the JICA's technical cooperation, the Archaeological Database Department (ADD) under the umbrella of JICA had established the GEM Artifact Database for enormous ancient Egyptian artifacts to be transferred to the GEM. He further introduced another technical cooperation for the GEM-CC through implementing various training courses in the fields of conservation and its related areas.

The presentations given by aforementioned 3 presenters were able to catch much attention of the audience and successfully introduce the GEM construction and exhibition project and the JICA GEM-CC project. The delegation appeared to be excited by possibility of those projects, which will attract so many people from all over the world to visit and see the magnificent Egyptian heritages in the GEM in the near future.

Subsequently, the delegation visited the laboratories of the GEM-CC and they were amazed by the well-equipped facilities of the GEM-CC and a lot of well-trained professional Egyptian conservators working there, as it clearly appeared in their questions that they were very much keen to get information on techniques of conservation and restoration. Among GEM-CC laboratories, the visitors appeared to be most impressed in the wood laboratory, where the gilded wooden bed of the King Tutankhamen collections has been conserved. After successful introduction of the GEM-CC, the delegation visited the construction site of the GEM and they expressed their expanding hope to the GEM inauguration in 2015.

Dr. Hussein Kamal, Technical Director of the GEM-CC

Mr. Naohiko Kawakami, JICA expert of the JICA GEM-CC project