Recently, Egypt unveiled new visitor facilities on the plateau outside Cairo where the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Great Sphinx are situated. This was disclosed on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, when developers opened a new restaurant – the “9 Pyramids Lounge”.

According to a report, the restaurant covers an area of 1,341 square meters and overlooks the Giza pyramids while the project is valued at 301 million Egyptian pounds.

The locations are the country’s most visited heritage sites and only remaining wonder of the ancient world. Over the years, visitors have noted the absence of social amenities that would have improved their experiences at the sites. However, developers are providing a fleet of new environmentally-friendly buses to guide tourists around the plateau. 

In a statement, Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that “one of the problems always faced is that people say there are no special services for tourists, that there is no cafeteria, no restaurant, nothing that can be offered to visitors.” 

The latest development was achieved by Naguib Sawiris, Egypt’s business mogul. According to Sawiris, the project is part of a greater plan to develop the UNESCO world heritage site and streamline tourists’ experience.

That would further contribute to Egypt’s earnings from tourism, a sector that accounts for up to 15 percent of Egypt’s national output. Prior to the innovation and the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the tourism sector generated around $1 billion each month for the North African country. 

More so, it is expected to create more employment opportunities for Egyptians, helping to tackle rising unemployment. As of May 14, 2020, a report showed Egypt’s unemployment rate stood at 9.6 percent as of the second quarter of 2020, marking an increase compared to 7.7 percent during the first quarter.