President Nikos Christodoulides departed Larnaca on the afternoon of 1 November 2025 for Cairo to attend the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) at Giza, joining heads of state from across the Middle East and Europe. The presidential delegation includes senior officials from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Transport, signalling that the trip is more than cultural diplomacy—it is part of a push to position Cyprus as the Eastern Mediterranean’s transit hub.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Cypriot and Egyptian ministers are expected to finalise a reciprocal fast-track business-visa scheme announced in principle last June. Once signed, the agreement will allow accredited executives to obtain two-year multiple-entry visas within five working days, facilitating cross-border energy projects and construction contracts tied to Egypt’s $1 billion GEM precinct redevelopment.
![President Christodoulides’ Cairo visit boosts Cyprus–Egypt mobility corridor]()
Cyprus Airways, meanwhile, is in talks with EgyptAir to code-share on the Larnaca–Cairo route and to launch a shuttle service timed to tour-operator itineraries visiting the GEM and the nearby pyramids. Travel agents anticipate a 25 percent jump in winter city-break packages combining Cairo and short beach stays in Paphos.
For Cypriot companies, easier mobility with Egypt opens opportunities in logistics, archaeological conservation and museum retail concessions. The Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB) is dispatching a trade mission in December to explore procurement linked to the museum’s second-phase expansion.
Observers also note the security dimension: Cyprus has offered to host joint evacuation drills drawing on its experience as a staging ground for repatriations from Sudan and Gaza earlier this year. Strengthening the mobility corridor with Egypt thus reinforces Cyprus’ emerging role as a regional humanitarian hub.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Cypriot and Egyptian ministers are expected to finalise a reciprocal fast-track business-visa scheme announced in principle last June. Once signed, the agreement will allow accredited executives to obtain two-year multiple-entry visas within five working days, facilitating cross-border energy projects and construction contracts tied to Egypt’s $1 billion GEM precinct redevelopment.
Cyprus Airways, meanwhile, is in talks with EgyptAir to code-share on the Larnaca–Cairo route and to launch a shuttle service timed to tour-operator itineraries visiting the GEM and the nearby pyramids. Travel agents anticipate a 25 percent jump in winter city-break packages combining Cairo and short beach stays in Paphos.
For Cypriot companies, easier mobility with Egypt opens opportunities in logistics, archaeological conservation and museum retail concessions. The Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB) is dispatching a trade mission in December to explore procurement linked to the museum’s second-phase expansion.
Observers also note the security dimension: Cyprus has offered to host joint evacuation drills drawing on its experience as a staging ground for repatriations from Sudan and Gaza earlier this year. Strengthening the mobility corridor with Egypt thus reinforces Cyprus’ emerging role as a regional humanitarian hub.
