Cairo Governor Dr. Ibrahim Saber and Chairman of the General Organization for Physical Planning Maha Mohammad Fahim signed a cooperation protocol, implementing the directives of the political leadership and the state's plan to encourage administrative bodies to transition to digital transformation by preparing an integrated and unified system with verified databases. The protocol is also part of the successful collaboration between the two entities. It builds on the accumulated expertise of the General Authority for Physical Planning in shaping planning and urban development policies in Egypt, along with the experience gained by the Cairo Governorate in managing and developing land within its jurisdiction.
The Cairo Governorate aims to benefit from the expertise of the General Organization for Physical Planning to integrate planning visions to develop and manage these lands. That will involve preparing geographic databases based on a complete digital transformation system through the development of applications and launching various platforms to leverage the expertise of the authority in building a system and specialized digital applications, enhancing the informational infrastructure in the governorate, and preparing unified geographic databases for Cairo using the available data from the governorate, relying on modern satellite imagery.
The signing ceremony was attended by Secretary-General Yahia Adgham, Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Labib, and several officials of the governorate and the authority.
Saber said the protocol aims to utilize the organization’s specialized technical personnel to accelerate the digital transformation of the General Department for Urban Planning and Development. It will also help prepare applications and information networks, creating an information systems unit within the department as a nucleus for development. That will enable the governorate to create unified geographic databases for Cairo (baseline map, land uses, urban structure) and consolidate all data and projects into a single geographic database.
Moreover, Saber asserted that the protocol aligns with the Egyptian state's plan to encourage public entities and authorities to develop and manage land effectively. So, each entity must prepare a comprehensive and unified database system for all lands within the administrative boundaries of its districts, which will facilitate the exchange of data and information among various state entities and institutions, potentially impacting their strategic visions. The goal is to enhance the assets and properties of each entity and optimize their utilization to increase their market value.
Saber added that under this protocol, the General Organization for Physical Planning will provide technical support to the governorate in data and information exchange, the preparation of planning studies, the development of specialized systems and applications, and training on programs related to geographic databases. Furthermore, the authority will assess and evaluate the current state of the technological information infrastructure, including the number of computers and their technical specifications, the internal information systems network, servers, available internet services, and specialized engineering programs.
The protocol also provides technical support for monitoring and evaluating work systems, database structures, and applications utilized by the general departments of the governorate. It also provides training to the technical staff of these departments.
Under this protocol, Geographic Information System (GIS) databases will be developed, which will include a baseline map, a land use map, and project information for Cairo.
Additionally, a detailed plan will be developed for one of Cairo's neighborhoods, chosen in collaboration with the governorate, to serve as a model for initiating detailed planning in other neighborhoods throughout the city. This will be based on a reference work guide that will be created jointly by the authority and the governorate, drawing from a previously established reference work guide by the authority. The neighborhoods of Hadayek El-Quba, Dar El-Salam, Salam 1, and Bab El-Shaaria have been selected as pilot models.
Source: Media Department, Cairo Governorate