"The second phase of establishing the new Grand Museum is nearing completion," Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni said during the press conference which he held on Monday 25/8/2008 after his meeting with the international teamwork, chaired by the British expert Stephen Grenburg who is charged with designing the Grand Egyptian Museum.

He added that the museum will be an architectural and civilizational masterpiece by all means to be added to the great works of the ancient Egyptians.

The museum is being established on 117 feddans on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road at a total cost of $300 million.

The Minister said the designs of the third phase are almost finished. “We have six months to go,” he noted.

He said the main building of the museum will be opened in 2011, adding that the museum would display up to 100,000 monuments and artifacts.

Hosni projected that up to seven million tourists would visit the museum annually after its opening.