Netherlands says it will return stolen 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt after Grand Egyptian Museum opening

A day after the Grand Egyptian Museum’s lavish opening, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced the Netherlands will return a 3,500-year-old bust to Egypt. He told President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the sculpture—of a high-ranking official from the era of Thutmose III—was seized in 2022 after an anonymous tip revealed it had been looted and unlawfully exported; the dealer gave it up. The bust will be handed to Egypt’s ambassador by year’s end, the first artifact returned since the GEM’s debut, which officials hope will draw millions of visitors and boost tourism.