Al-Marsad Newspaper: During the past few days, a great deal of controversy has been raised, after the increase in the entrance fees to Saladin Citadel, which some said came because an Emirati investor obtained a usufruct right to manage the archaeological site.
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Mostafa Waziri, denied reports about the government’s approval of the Ministry of Antiquities’ request to contract with an Emirati company to obtain a usufruct right for the Salah al-Din Citadel area.
Waziri stressed that the ministry does not deal with Emirati or private companies, pointing out that the ministry deals with sovereign agencies in the country only to complete these contracts.
Sources indicated, according to media outlets, that Salah El-Din Citadel witnessed, during the past few days, a significant increase in the prices of entry tickets, as the ticket price shifted from 5 pounds to 65 pounds, which prompted many to question the sudden increase.
The sources pointed out that when visiting the castle, some there confirmed that the price hike was due to the new investor responsible for managing the place.