Egypt is giving one the world’s most iconic landmarks a major upgrade in hopes of improving the visitor experience.
The Pyramids of Giza draw over 14 million tourists each year, but travellers often leave underwhelmed by their experience at the historic UNESCO World Heritage site.
Mounting complaints over mismanagement, aggressive vendors, and even mistreatment of animals have taken a toll on the site’s reputation, with visitors reporting the reality doesn’t live up their expectations.
Now, a $51 million (£38 million) project led by Orascom Pyramids Entertainment Services Company is aiming to change that.
As part of the initiative, 45 electric buses have been introduced to shuttle visitors around the site every five minutes.
A modern online ticketing system, an upgraded visitor centre and the restoration of ancient tombs are also in the works, as reported by the Express.
In a statement shared to X, Naguib Sawiris, the founder of Orascom Telecom Holding and Orascom Investment Holding, highlighted the ‘offensive’ behaviour of around 2,000 camel and horse riders.
Sawiris wrote: ‘The disruption of the continuous tourist bus route, the horse and camel manure and their foul-smelling waste that offends and pollutes the most important archaeological site in the world make the visit a very bad experience.’
Egypt is giving one the world’s most iconic landmarks, the Pyramids of Giza, a major upgrade in hopes of improving the visitor experience
He also emphasised that vendors who fail to move to a newly designated zone will be banned, adding: ‘The solution is that they must go to the exercise area as planned by the state and stay away from the asphalt bus route to avoid obstructing tourists.
‘In case of refusal, they should be completely prevented in order to preserve this historical area, as the public good is more important than 2,000 people who have been harming their country for years.’
In addition, a recent investigation by animal rights group PETA has exposed serious abuse of camels and horses used for tourist rides at the site.
PETA claims the animals are beaten, starved, and sometimes left to die in the street.
Jason Baker, Vice President of PETA Asia, said: ‘PETA has documented the routine punching, kicking, whipping, and starving of horses and camels at the pyramids.
‘Animals are literally ridden to death and then dumped like rubbish outside the gate. The Pyramids of Giza should symbolise Egypt’s beauty and history – not unchecked animal abuse.’
It comes after an animal-loving Dutch vigilante who attacked a man she saw beating a donkey in Egypt is now facing a lawsuit.
Astonishing footage shows expat Joke Van der Post punching the animal’s handler before chasing him with a whip as he tries to flee.
Mounting complaints over mismanagement, aggressive vendors, and even mistreatment of animals have taken a toll on the site’s reputation
A modern online ticketing system, an upgraded visitor centre and the restoration of ancient tombs are also in the works
In addition, a recent investigation by animal rights group PETA has exposed serious abuse of camels and horses used for tourist rides at the site
In the heartbreaking video – which has since gone viral – the donkey kicks out in agony as it is repeatedly lashed while tethered to a wall on the outskirts of Cairo.
Appalled by the horrific cruelty, the 47-year-old runs at the man before pinning him against a wall and striking him several times shouting, ‘You think you’re f****** normal.’
As the man tries to run away Ms Van der Post, who manages a veterinary practice called the Good Karma Sanctuary, grabs a whip from another donkey handler and chases him off into the distance.
The man filed a police complaint accusing Ms Van der Post of assault and claiming appearing in the viral video has caused him ‘psychological harm’, local media reports.
