Cairo () is one of the 27
governorates of Egypt
Egypt is administratively organized under a dual system that may consist of either two or three tiers, with further subdivisions occasionally resulting in an additional layer. It follows a centralized system of local government, officially term ...
. It is formed of the city of
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, both the national capital of
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and the governorate's, in addition to six
satellite cities: the
New Administrative Capital - which became the official seat of national government in April 2024,
New Cairo
New Cairo ( ') is a satellite city within the Cairo governorate of Egypt, and the metropolitan area of Greater Cairo. Administratively, it is officially part of the Eastern Area of Cairo city, but like all new settlements in Egypt, it is di ...
,
El Shorouk,
Badr, Capital Gardens, and
15th of May. These
cities form almost half of the
Greater Cairo metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
by population.
Cairo is one of four
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
governorates in Egypt, and the governor of Cairo is also the head of the city. Nonetheless, the governate of Cairo and the city of Cairo are two semi-distinct levels of
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
, and as with other governorates, the governor is appointed by the president.
Overview
Parts of the governorate, the
Helwan district and the satellite cities, were spun off in April 2008 to form the
Helwan Governorate, only to be reincorporated into the Cairo Governorate in April 2011.
Municipal divisions

The governorate is divided into the city of
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, and the unallocated desert hinter land ().
Cairo city is subdivided into four Areas () headed by a deputy governor each, and 38 Districts (, sing. ) with their own governor appointed heads.
The Northern Area divided into 8 Districts:
Shubra, Al-Zawiya al-Hamra, Hadayek al-Kobba,
Rod al-Farg, al-Sharabiya, al-Sahel, al-Zaytoun, and Al-Amiriya
The Eastern Area divided into 9 Districts:
Misr al-Gadidah (
Heliopolis), Al-Nozha,
Nasr City East (Sharq Madinet Nasr),
Nasr City West (Gharb Madinet Nasr), al-Salam Awwal, al-Salam Thani,
al-Matariya, and
al-Marg. In addition to
New Cairo
New Cairo ( ') is a satellite city within the Cairo governorate of Egypt, and the metropolitan area of Greater Cairo. Administratively, it is officially part of the Eastern Area of Cairo city, but like all new settlements in Egypt, it is di ...
,
Al Shorouk,
Badr, and
New Administrative Capital.
The Western Area divided into 9 Districts:
Manshiyat Nasser, Al-Wayli, Wasat al-Qahira:
Al-Darb al-Ahmar,
al-Gamaliyya, al-Hussein),
Boulaq, Gharb El-Qahira (
Zamalek,
Garden City,
Down Town),
Abdeen,
Al-Azbakiya, al-Muski, and Bab El-Shaaria.
The Southern Area divided into 12 Districts:
Masr El-Qadima (
Old Cairo), al-Khalifa,
al-Moqattam, al-Basatin, Dar El-Salam, El-Sayeda Zeinab,
al-Tebin,
Helwan,
al-Ma'sara,
al-Maadi,
Tora, and
15th may City.
In addition to Cairo City, there are six satellite cities that are under the jurisdiction of the
Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities who chairs the
New Urban Communities Authority
The New Urban Communities Authority () is an Egyptian state owned enterprise (SOE) established in 1979 and affiliated to the Ministry of Housing. It is the exclusive satellite city developer in Egypt, in addition to being Egypt's largest re ...
that directly controls them (planning, land sales, zoning), while the governorate departments () control police and select public services (education, health, subsidised food). The more populated ones are subdivided into , while the ones still under construction are yet to have governorate representation. These cities are:
*
New Cairo
New Cairo ( ') is a satellite city within the Cairo governorate of Egypt, and the metropolitan area of Greater Cairo. Administratively, it is officially part of the Eastern Area of Cairo city, but like all new settlements in Egypt, it is di ...
*
El Shorouk
*
Badr
*
15th of May
*
New Administrative Capital
*Capital Gardens
As of January 2023, the
municipal divisions had a total estimated population as of 10,203,693.
Population
Governors
As of 4 April 2025, Ibrahim Saber is the governor of Cairo Governorate.
Former
Source:
* Atef Abdelhamid, 7 September 2016 - 12 August 2018
*
Galal Mostafa Saeed, 13 August 2013 - 23 March 2016
* Osama Kamal, 29 January 2013 - 12 August 2013
*
Abdel Kawi Khalifa, 14 April 2011 - 12 August 2012
*
Abdel Azim Wazir, 9 July 2004 - 14 April 2011
* Abdel Rehim Shehata, 8 July 1997 - 14 July 2004
* Mohammed Omar Abdel Akhar, 2 May 1991 - 7 July 1997
* Mahmoud Sherif, 18 April 1989 - 19 May 1991
*
Yousef Sabri Abu Taleb, 13 March 1983 - 14 April 1989
* Mohammed Saad El-Din Maamoun, 15 May 1977 - 12 March 1983
Industrial zones
According to the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the following industrial zones are located in Cairo:
See also
*
Governorates of Egypt
Egypt is administratively organized under a dual system that may consist of either two or three tiers, with further subdivisions occasionally resulting in an additional layer. It follows a centralized system of local government, officially term ...
*
Greater Cairo
References
External links
Cairo GovernorateOfficial website (in Arabic and English)
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Governorates of Egypt