A recent offer by Qatar to ‘rent’ Egypt’s national treasures in exchange for 200 billion US dollars has attracted harsh criticism from the Ministry of Antiquities, Egyptologists, activists, and the Egyptian population. The Ministry of Antiquities, which rejected Qatar’s bid and the Ministry of Finance’s proposal, stated in a press release that Egypt will never accept the possibility of compromising or allowing the exploitation of its cultural heritage and civilization. Adel Abdel Sattar, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that it is impossible for Egypt to rent its monuments, “This is our heritage…our roots.” The Ministry of Finance and high-ranking Muslim Brotherhood officials believed that the rental of Egypt’s treasures to Qatar or international companies would be a quick solution to Egypt’s financial woes. Egypt’s GDP is said to have dipped below 200 billion US dollars in 2013, and the funds generated from the rental of monuments would almost surely end the country’s financial crisis. In fact, renting the monuments for $200 billion would dwarf the $4.8 billion IMF loan that President Morsi and his government have been chasing after since late 2012. The financial benefits are clear…
