The Dutch government is set to return a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture to its homeland after it surfaced at a Dutch art fair. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a visit to Egypt, marking a significant moment in cultural repatriation efforts.

The sculpture, linked to the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, is suspected to have been stolen during the 2011 Arab Spring upheaval, subsequently entering the international art market. An anonymous tip in 2022 led to its confiscation in Maastricht.

Following confirmation of its illicit origins by Dutch authorities, the sculpture will be handed over to the Egyptian ambassador in the Netherlands before the year's end, although a precise date remains undetermined.

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