This came as part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ strategic vision to enhance its governance and that of its affiliated bodies.

The ministry seeks to bolster the council’s organizational capacities to effectively fulfil its vital function as an antiquities custodian and a leading scientific institution, dedicated to scholarly exploration throughout generations.

Impressive resumé
 

Mohamed Ismail Khaled holds a PhD in Ancient Egyptian Antiquities from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

Khaled worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities, University of Würzburg, Germany.

His scientific research was published in numerous prestigious, international peer-reviewed publications, in both English and German.

He received a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Henkel Foundation in Germany, in recognition of his collaborative efforts.

Moreover, he worked as a visiting professor at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University, USA.

Khaled is the head of the Egyptian-German mission at Sahure Pyramid in the Abusir archaeological site. He spearheaded ground-breaking discoveries, including unveiling the storerooms within the historic site.

He began his career as an antiquities inspector with the SCA in the Giza Pyramids area, ascending through various leadership roles within the council.

Khaled was director of the Technical Office of the head of Central Administration of Cairo and Giza Antiquities, Scientific Research Department, and Foreign Mission Affairs. He also supervised the Development and Site Management Project of Pyramids at the Giza Plateau.

New blood
 

His appointment came after former Secretary-General Mostafa Waziry, who held the job since 2017, completed his term.

In recent months, Mostafa Waziry has faced much criticism for his controversial decision to commission a project to restore the granite casing blocks scattered around the base of the Menkaure Pyramid to its original location on the historic site.

This project was scrapped after an international specialist review committee, chaired by renowned Egyptologist and former minister of antiquities Zahi Hawass, unanimously rejected the idea, citing the importance of maintaining the pyramid's current state without alterations given its exceptional universal and archaeological value.