Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Hala El-Said, has inaugurated the ministry’s National Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructure.
In a press statement on Saturday, El-Said said the centre aims to establish an integrated national planning system, directing state investments and development efforts to areas with real needs.
The centre would also improve how government finance is spent, whilst preserving the state’s rights to monitor building violations and encroachment on land and agricultural areas. It also aims to facilitate the execution of government projects and investments, by facilitating the sharing and exchange of information and geographical data for government agencies, she added.
El-Said explained that the centre is the outcome of the “Integration of the spatial data infrastructure of the Egyptian planning system” project. It is currently being implemented by the Ministry of Defence, represented by the Military Survey Department of the Engineering Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.
She clarified that the centre also seeks to standardise the specifications used in creating and disseminating spatial data, whilst protecting its own rights and privileges.
The centre relies on building and making available an integrated spatial information infrastructure for the Egyptian government, using the latest satellite photography technologies.
It consists of four central units, at the forefront of which is the space imaging unit, which uses satellite technology on behalf of specialised government agencies, to rationalise government spending.
The centre includes a variety of highly qualified teams from a range of academic backgrounds and working in a variety of disciplines, such as specialists in spatial data science, geographic information systems technology, urban planning, land surveying, and maps.
