Cairo was recently picked as one of Time Magazine’s “100 extraordinary destinations to explore” in its World’s Greatest Places of 2021 special issue.

The capital was picked due to its “new vantages on unique treasures,” with Time Magazine highlighting the highly anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest archaeological museum in the world.

The magazine stated that the list is “a tribute to the people and businesses at the forefront of those industries who, amid extraordinary circumstances, found ways to adapt, build and innovate”.

“It shines a light on ingenuity, creativity, revitalization and reopenings in destinations across the world,” the magazine said on its website.

Time also pointed out Egypt’s diverse investments towards strengthening tourism, an important source of foreign currency and GDP.

Egyptian tourism revenues recorded between $3.5 billion to $4 billion during H1 of 2021, with around 3.5 million tourists received between January and June 2021.

The magazine also highlighted the Ahl Misr Walkway on the Nile Corniche, and the Cairo Eye which is set to be the largest observation wheel in Africa.

The list of 100 extraordinary destinations to explore also included other major cities such as Athens, Berlin, Cannes, Las Vegas, Madrid, and others.

Egypt recently ranked as one of Saudi Arabia’s top list of MENA destinations for Saudi international travelers.