President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has declared the creation of three new governorates – Central Sinai, Al-Alamein and Al-Wahat, Al-Ahram daily newspaper reported. The move, which will bring the number of governorates to 28, is designed to bolster development efforts. Central Sinai governorate will bring the number of administrative areas in the peninsula to three. In his meeting on Sunday with Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, Local Development Minister Adel Labib and a number of governors, al-Sisi discussed the demarcation plan of the three new governorates. Presidential spokesperson Ihab Badawi said al-Sisi stressed the importance of working on urban development to eliminate slums. In the five-hour meeting, Labib said Wahat governorate would be the third one in the western region and would include Farafra and Bahariya oases. Meanwhile, Labib stressed that many governorates in Lower Egypt will maintain their current borders. He then added that they are currently working on the demarcation of Cairo, Giza and Suez governorates. The spokesperson said ministers have taken into consideration the social demands of the Nubians in their plans. Egypt has a long history of centralisation, with the capital city dominating the rest of the country in terms of services and resources. Source: Ahram Online
