Cairo city is subdivided into four Areas (manatiq) headed by a deputy governor each, and 38 Districts (ahya, sing.

The Western Area divided into 9 Districts: Manshiyat Nasser, Al-Wayli, Wasat al-Qahira (Qism: 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 five satellite cities that are under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities who chairs the New Urban Communities Authority that directly controls them (planning, land sales, zoning), while the governorate departments (muduriyat) control police and select public services (education, health, subsidised food).

[16] In a program that began on 28 August 2012 (through 2018), the European Union invested 40 million euros on upgrading the infrastructure of informal areas in Cairo Governorate.