Cairo: Italian newspapers shed light on the official grand opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), describing it as the largest museum in the world that has snatched the title from the Louvre in Paris. The Italian newspapers highlighted the museum’s vital role in boosting Egypt’s economy.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the Italian state broadcaster RAI reported that the Grand Egyptian Museum is the largest in the world, covering an area twice the size of the Louvre and two and a half times that of the British Museum. The museum houses an exceptional collection of more than 100,000 artifacts spanning from prehistoric times to the Roman era, RAI reported. It added that the grand opening, set to be attended by more than 60 world leaders, is expected to draw global attention to Egypt and strengthen its tourism sector.

The Italian daily Corriere Della Sera also highlighted that the Grand Egyptian Museum is one-third larger than the Louvre, effectively overtaking it as the world’s largest museum. Ramses II, Tutankhamun, and other world-famous statues are entering a new chapter, thirty-three years after the project’s inception, the Italian daily read. Corriere Della Sera described the new museum as ‘majestic and full of promise in every sense,’ setting new records with its nearly 500,000 square meters of space and 100,000 exhibits, calling it ‘the largest cultural investment ever made in Africa.’

Meanwhile, the daily La Repubblica said that the ‘colossal statue of Ramses II welcomes visitors to the new Grand Egyptian Museum,’ adding that the 3,200-year-old monument made an extraordinary journey to reach its new home. La Repubblica also pointed out that the golden mask of Tutankhamun, over 3,500 years old, is among the museum’s most captivating attractions, and noted that artificial intelligence technologies enhance the visitor experience at the new museum.