The Egyptian Geography Network (EGN):

EGN (Egyptian Geography Network)

Description: Egyptian Geography Network is a national network of geographic information users and providers. It uses the
infrastructure of the Internet to publish the metadata about data found in the governmental organizations and uses a
secured governmental network to allow governmental organizations to exchange data. The project is composed of three
phases. Phase I is concerned by publishing the Metadata to know who have what. It is like a virtual market through which
the organizations can advertise for their data. This was through a portal built and can be accessed through
WWW.EGN.GOV.EG

EGN is considered one of the main achievements of information infrastructure sector in MCIT. It is a local network
for geographic information providers, In August 2006, EGN was awarded the Special Achievement in Geographic Information
Systems SAG 2006 Award, during ESRI International User Conference in the USA.
EGN aims at reducing the State’s expenditures and efforts repeatedly exerted in planning and producing and
digitalizing maps. The network includes a mechanism that simplifies information exchange among governmental
organizations and other. In addition, EGN unifies and standardizes the measurements nationally used in digital mapping and
publishing. In line with MCIT’s continuous efforts to support e-government, this network facilitates the accessibility of
metadata catalogs to citizens, decision-makers and investors, hence encouraging investments in Egypt. It markets the
resources and investments potential in Egypt through the internet.
EGN will allow the establishment of the national spatial data information (NSDI) enabling searches, while creating a
competitive market for sectors working on geographic information. Promoting accessibility and data sharing, EGN is
available to private, public, and commercial users, in the first phase as metadata publishers, , and can benefit entities and
organizations seeking authorized information access. This project will ultimately provide employment opportunities for the
Egyptian youth.
ENG services are available on www.egn.gov.eg.

Phase II is concerned by building a secured governmental network for data exchange. ARCGIS Server 9.2 platform is used to
create the environment required to make the data exchange. The main idea of this phase is the keep the possessing rights
for the data producers and to enable them to grant permissions for those who will be able to access their data. This will be
through signing protocols for this purpose.
Phase III is concerned by building a unified detailed base-map for Egypt which could be accessed by the whole governmental
sectors and on which all the organizations can adjust their data.
Achievements:
1) Phase I was finished and the website that represent the Metadata is working properly

2) The EGN protocol was signed with 22 authorities:

1- Egyptian Survey Authority (ESA)
 2- Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS)
3- General Authority for Educational Buildings (GAEB)
4- Cairo Utility Data Center (GCUDC)
5- Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CultNat)
6- General Authority for Reconstruction Projects And Agricultural Development
7- General Organization for Physical Planning (Gopp)
8- Giza Utility Data Center (GUDC)
9- Information Center of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
10- Information & Decision Support Center (IDSC)
11- National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS)
12- New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA)
13- The National Center for Planning State Land Uses (NCPSLU)
14- Canal Company for Electricity Distribution (CCED)
15- Information Technology Institute (ITI)
16- National Housing & Building Research Center (NHBRC)
17- General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI)
18- Company for Electricity Distribution Channel
19- The Ministry of Transport
20- The Ministry of Economic Development
21- The desert research center
22- The Agricultural Research Center
3) Pilot for phase II was prepared and tested successfully
4) Several committees were held for building the Egyptian Geo-Information policies for purpose of reaching to unified base
map for Egypt and unified methodology in handling it, also to build the first Egyptian GIS code of standards.