Sunday 14/December/2025 – 11:15 PM
A state of controversy and questions prevailed in the tourism and archaeological circles in the governorate LuxorToday, Sunday, following the absence of Engineer Abdel Muttalib Amara, Governor of Luxor, and his deputy, Dr. Hisham Abu Zeid, from an international tourism event witnessed by the governorate in the presence of Sherif Fathi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
Question marks about absence
Despite the importance of the event, which was the unveiling of two huge statues of King Amenhotep III after their restoration, the absence of any official representative from the governorate raised the astonishment of the attendees, especially since the governorate’s leaders are known for their activity and constant keenness to attend all events that would stimulate tourism and support the archaeological sector.
Behind the scenes of breaking the protocol
A private source revealed to Cairo 24 that the real reason behind this absence was the violation of protocol on the part of the Minister of Tourism.
The source explained that government customs and official protocols require that any minister or government official – and even the head of government – notify the governor officially or by telephone, or coordinate through their offices before making any visit to the governorate to arrange the agenda, which did not happen in Minister Sherif Fathi’s visit.
The source added: There was no announcement, communication, or notification of the visit, which considered the governor to be a violation of established organizational norms.
An exceptional archaeological event
It is noteworthy that the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, accompanied by Dr. Mohamed Ismail, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, witnessed today on the western mainland the unveiling of two alabaster statues of King Amenhotep III in front of the third pylon of his mortuary temple, after the completion of the work of assembling, restoring and returning them to their original location.
