Presidential Decree 495/1977 divided Egypt into eight (later seven after Matrouh was merged into Alexandria) economic regions for economic and physical planning purposes, that do not have any new administrative representation in the local government hierarchy.
2 established a Higher Committee for Regional Planning in each region, headed by the governor of that region's capital, and comprising the governors, heads of the Local Executive Councils, and the head of the national-level General Organization for Physical Planning as secretary general.
In 2008 this was changed to a Regional Center for Urban Planning and Development affiliated to the GOPP.
[2] However, it was believed that planning based on these units was unrealistic thus decentralization efforts were put in place.
[5][1][2] In 2014, plans were discussed to expand the seven to eleven but it didn't happen.