The Hong Kong Palace Museum has said that it will maintain “the highest international standards of security” and “best storage conditions” ahead of hosting the city’s largest and longest-running exhibition of ancient Egyptian treasures.

The museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District on Tuesday unveiled three Egyptian statues, including one weighing 1.8 tonnes, which will open to the public from Wednesday as a prelude to a special exhibition about ancient Egypt. Tickets went on sale last week.

The main exhibition, titled “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” with more than 250 items covering 4,000 years of history on display, will run from November 20 to August 31 next year.

“In response to the recent attention to the museum’s safety, we immediately called in our security team for a review. I am glad to say our safety measures fit the highest international standards,” Louis Ng Chi-wa, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, said at the crate-opening ceremony on Tuesday.

Museum safety was thrust into the spotlight recently after robbers broke into the world-famous Louvre in Paris earlier this month, stealing jewellery worth an estimated US$102 million in minutes.

Ng said the Hong Kong Palace Museum had made detailed plans with the Egyptian side about transport, storage and exhibition of items, and promised to “strengthen the security” during the coming exhibition.

The museum will also roll out some new souvenirs and limited-edition food and beverages with Egyptian elements after the exhibition starts.