Photo taken on Feb. 29, 2020 shows a statue in the Hurghada Museum in Hurghada, Egypt. Egypt announced the inauguration of the Hurghada Museum on Saturday, in an effort to boost cultural tourism in Red Sea province. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A man takes selfies in the Hurghada Museum in Hurghada, Egypt, on Feb. 29, 2020. Egypt announced the inauguration of the Hurghada Museum on Saturday, in an effort to boost cultural tourism in Red Sea province. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli inaugurated on Saturday the Hurghada Museum in the Red Sea province, a major tourist center eastern the capital.

Located at the resort town of Hurghada, the museum is the first of its kind to be established in partnership with the private sector in Egypt.

"It is a very special experience to build a partnership between the government and the private sector," Madbouli said, adding that a private sector company has fully paid all the expenses of the museum's foundation and equipment.

The museum, which covers 10,000 square meters, is expected to contribute to boosting tourism in the Red Sea province located 400 km far from Cairo.

It included a 3,000 square meters hall for displaying artifacts, an entertainment area and a shopping complex and parking lots.

Costing nearly 160 million Egyptian pounds (nearly 10 million US dollars), the museum houses 1,791 artifacts of the Pharaonic era up to modern times including royal pieces that date back to the royal epoch in Egypt at the beginning of the 20th century, in a bid to draw a relation between different civilizations.

Madbouli added that the new museum will constitute a new addition to the cultural tourism in a province that mainly depends on the recreational and beaches tourism.

People visit the Hurghada Museum in Hurghada, Egypt, on Feb. 29, 2020. Egypt announced the inauguration of the Hurghada Museum on Saturday, in an effort to boost cultural tourism in Red Sea province. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

 

Photo taken on Feb. 29, 2020 shows the entrance of the Hurghada Museum in Hurghada, Egypt. Egypt announced the inauguration of the Hurghada Museum on Saturday, in an effort to boost cultural tourism in Red Sea province. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

 

Photo taken on Feb. 29, 2020 shows a statue in the Hurghada Museum in Hurghada, Egypt. Egypt announced the inauguration of the Hurghada Museum on Saturday, in an effort to boost cultural tourism in Red Sea province. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

 

People visit the Hurghada Museum in Hurghada, Egypt, on Feb. 29, 2020. Egypt announced the inauguration of the Hurghada Museum on Saturday, in an effort to boost cultural tourism in Red Sea province. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)