Monday, 25 May 2026
Egypt, US discuss expanding tourism and heritage cooperation
Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister met with the US chargé d’affaires in Cairo on Friday to discuss strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of tourism and heritage preservation, the ministry said.
Shereef Fathy, Egypt’s minister of tourism and antiquities, held talks with Robert Silverman at the ministry’s headquarters in the New Capital. The meeting marked Silverman’s assumption of his new post, the statement said.
The two sides reviewed the number of tourists arriving in Egypt from the United States and discussed ways to boost those figures, particularly as Egypt seeks to diversify and expand its tourism products.
The talks also covered the restoration of the Sultan Qaitbay Dome in Cairo’s City of the Dead, a project recently completed in partnership between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the US Embassy. They discussed a date for inaugurating the restored monument, which the ministry described as a successful model of international cooperation in safeguarding cultural heritage.
Fathy and Silverman also examined opportunities for additional joint restoration projects in historic Cairo, especially in the Gamaleya district, along with plans to upgrade visitor services in the area to improve the overall tourist experience.
The meeting further touched on boosting cooperation in training and capacity-building to support professionals working in tourism and antiquities and promote the exchange of expertise in line with international best practices.
The ministry said the meeting was attended by Hesham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Rana Gohar, adviser to the minister for communications and foreign relations.