UNDP, Tourism Min. Inaugurate 5 Egyptian World Heritage Sites

In an official ceremony at the Manial Palace, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities represented by the Supreme Council for Antiquities, the Industrial Modernization Center (IMC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt on Tuesday inaugurated solar power stations at five Egyptian world heritage sites and museums.

The solar power stations were built in the Giza Pyramids Plateau Visitor Center, Manial Palace, the Sharm El-Sheikh Museum, and two museums in Alexandria (the National Museum and the Royal Jewelry Museum). These plants have a capacity of 325 kilowatts of photovoltaic electronics, generating 520 megawatt-hours annually, which is estimated to reduce approximately 295 tons of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide equivalent.

The project was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and later received funding from Europe during the UN Ideal for COP27 project, as well as various government and private sector stakeholders.

In her address, Ghada Shalaby, the Vice Minister for Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism, explained that their goal is to achieve sustainable growth for tourism through cooperation with various development partners such as the United Nations, the World Tourism Organization, and both government and private sector stakeholders.

"To achieve this, the Ministry has taken an important step by building solar power plants that will benefit both local communities and tourists visiting the area."

Meanwhile, Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the solar power plants were part of a plan to provide solar energy to all world heritage sites and archival museums in the country, noting that the project is in line with Egypt's 2030 sustainable development strategy.

In turn, Alessandro Fracasetti, the UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, said that the event is a momentous step under UNDP’s Egypt project funded by the GEF. "Great to see the potential of partnerships and innovation in achieving renewable energy goals in Egypt."