40m pounds allocated for Egypt's National Theater

Egypt's Planning Minister Ashraf al-Arabi approved on Wednesday 40 million pounds for the remaining development and restoration works of the country's National Theater in Cairo's Al Attaba district. The theater is to be opened by the end of 2013/2014 fiscal year. Arabi, in press statements, said the allocation is part of the plan adopted by the government to renovate the theater, an integral part of Egypt's contemporary history. The theater was put on fire in 2008 and its main hall was fully damaged. The government estimated restoration works to cost 90 million pounds. Fifty millions of them have been already paid for the renovation works. The National Theatre was last restored in 1986.