3 new provinces, southern borders redrawn

Egypt’s Cabinet officially approved the creation of three new governorates on Wednesday, raising the total number from 27 to 30.

The new governorates include: Alamein, Central Sinai, and the Oases Governorate.

These new administrative territories are in the northwest of the country (for Alamein) — along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, in the middle of the Sinai Peninsula (for Central Sinai) — located along the country’s eastern border, and within the southeastern mainland desert (for the Oases Governorate).

Quoting Local Development Minister Adel Labib, the state-owned Middle East News Agency reported that the creation of these three new governorates would decrease the size and administrative scope of the four existing governorates – Matrouh Governorate, North and South Sinai and the New Valley Governorate.

The objective, according to Labib, is to realize President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s vision for increased investment opportunities.

However, it is not yet clear what specific investment opportunities are being planned for these newly-created governorates.

Citing Labib, the privately owned Masrawy news portal reported that the Cabinet had also agreed to redraw the administrative borders of Upper Egypt (geographically south of the country), which is largely rural, agricultural and underdeveloped.

According to Masrawy, several Upper Egyptian Governorates would have their administrative territories increased, including Fayoum (100 percent increase in size), Assiut (105 percent), Beni Suef (97 percent), Sohag (222 percent), Qena (194 percent), Luxor (10 percent) and Aswan (102 percent). 

In light of the aforementioned changes, the governorates of Minya, the Red Sea and New Valley would all decrease in terms of the area under their administration.

During the era of President Hosni Mubarak, several newly drawn governorates were established in 2008, only to be scrapped in 2011. Little explanation has been provided as to why they were established, and why these administrative borders were subsequently erased.