The Egyptian Embassy in the Netherlands has received a granodiorite stone statue head that had left the country illegally, in light of what was announced during the Dutch Prime Minister's visit to Egypt to attend the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum and his meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, during which he affirmed his country's commitment to providing Egypt with the necessary support in its efforts to recover its antiquities that left the country illegally.
The official handover ceremony and signing of the receipt record took place between Egypt's Ambassador in The Hague and the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, with broad official Dutch attendance, as well as the Spanish Ambassador to the Netherlands representing her government, in clear confirmation of the international cooperation and institutional coordination that accompanied this process.
In this context, Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, stressed that the recovery of this head embodies the fruit of constructive cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands and reflects a shared commitment to applying international agreements on protecting cultural heritage and combating illicit trafficking in archaeological property.
He stressed the Egyptian state's keenness to recover its antiquities that left the country illegally and its continuous work to safeguard Egypt's civilizational heritage and preserve the nation's cultural identity, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant bodies and in cooperation with international partners, in this case the governments of the Kingdoms of the Netherlands and Spain, especially the Spanish National Police for its pivotal role in uncovering the manipulation of ownership documents, reflecting the spirit of shared responsibility among countries in confronting illicit trafficking in cultural property.
For his part, Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said this step represents a new addition to Egypt's record of successes in the antiquities repatriation file and reflects the Egyptian state's commitment to protecting its civilizational heritage and safeguarding its cultural identity, in cooperation with the international community.
Shaaban Abdel Gawad, Director General of the General Department of Repatriated Antiquities and Supervisor of the Central Department of Archaeological Ports at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that, according to the initial inspection, the artefact most likely dates back to the New Kingdom, specifically the reign of King Thutmose III, and that it had left the country illegally before being spotted while on display at the TEFAF fine art fair in the Dutch city of Maastricht in 2022, where the Dutch authorities seized it and took the necessary legal measures.
It is worth noting that Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof had conveyed to the President the Dutch government's decision to return the stone head in November 2025, on the sidelines of his participation in the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the matter received personal attention and follow-up from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
It should be noted that the Netherlands joined the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property on 17 July 2009, while Egypt adopted it on 5 April 1973, and the two countries cooperate closely as States Parties to the convention to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property within an organized international legal framework.
