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Global Sourcebook for International Data Management
by Graham Rhind
For supplementary information, see links to post office home pages here , to postal code pages here and to other personal name and addressing issues pages here .
Table of Contents |
105 174 090 (2023 estimate) [1]
Note: This section last updated 14th March 2021
1,234.45
(where . indicates the decimal separator and , the thousands separator)
۱٫۲۳۴٬۴۵
(where ٬ indicates the decimal separator and ٫ the thousands separator)
The national language, Arabic , is spoken in a number of forms by most people. Some 100 000 people speak Kenuzi-Dongola , 200 000 speak Nobiin and 5 000 speak Siwi , a Berber dialect.
Form of address use is complex in Egypt and needs to be fully understood to ensure correct usage. The main points are summarized here.
The forms of address used in Egypt are:
Mr Al-Sayed Mrs Al-Sayeda Miss Al-Anisa
For addressing somebody more senior (in social position) or a professional, such as a doctor, lawyer, dentist, accountant and so on, these forms of address are used:
Mr Al-Ostaz Mrs Al-Ostaza Miss Al-Anessa
These forms of address are always followed by the full name. When the person has another title, such as Doctor, he/she is saluted in this way:
Al-Ostaz Al-Doctor [rest of name] (male) Al-Ostaza Al-Doctor [rest of name] (female)
Engineers and architects are saluted using Al-Mohandess.
A person’s job title should be added under the name, and a letter should be opened:
Taheya tayebba wa baad
meaning “my greetings”.
Tables of forms of address can be acquired
Note: This section last updated 24th February 2014
Egyptian company legal forms include:
Branch CCLS (Commandite Company Limited by Shares) JSC (Joint Stock Company) LLC (Limited Liability Company) Representative Office SAE (Sharikat al-Mossahamah) - public limited company Sharikat Tadamun - general partnership Sharikat Tawssiyah Bassita - unlimited company Sharikat Tawssiyah Belashom - limited liability partnership
Comprehensive tables of these strings can be acquired – see http:www.grcdi.nl/addresses.htm
Note: This section last updated 20th August 2023
Addresses are written in the following format:
Recipient name number[ ]Thoroughfare name[ ]District name Province postal code
for example:
The district may also be written on the line below the thoroughfare name.
Addresses written in Latin script will often be written in English.
The word Hag is added before the first name of those people who have been on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
A table containing information about the relevant position of elements within address blocks can be acquired
This is usually found in English as PO Box.
Note: This section last updated 20th August 2023
In 2020 Egypt Post, together with DHL, developed a new 7-digit postal code, where each code indicated a group or block of buildings. The codes do not appear to have been derived from the previous 5-digit codes. Implementation is patchy – expect to find both old and new codes for some time. The first two digits indicate the province, the third digit is the locality, the fourth and fifth are the neighbourhood and the final two are the community. [1]
For 5-digit codes: The postal code consists of a block of 5 digits. The first indicates the region, the second the governorate (before re-organisation in 2014), the third the quality of service and the last two the delivery area or post office.
[1] https://epostalmap.com/en/ | https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2020/03/09/egypt-post-applies-new-postcode-system-with-dhl/ | https://www.pr.com/press-release/819124 20230705
Metadata containing postal code formatting rules, exceptions and regular expressions can be acquired
n/a.
\A\d{7,7}\Z (7-digit postal codes)
\A\d{5,5}\Z (5-digit postal codes)
Note: This section last updated 9th March 2016
Refer to Exonyms in Egypt for full lists of place names in Egypt in other languages.
Alternate place name forms/postal code tables can be acquired at http:www.grcdi.nl/settlements.htm
Other language place name data can be acquired at http://www.grcdi.nl/otherlanguageplace.htm
Note: This section last updated 2nd September 2014
Egypt’s 30 governorate names (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) are to be found in addresses. The transliteration scheme used to reproduce these names is different to that used in the place names section. Where an alternative is known, this is given in the list below. The governorates are:
Governorate | Postal code first digits (5-digit codes) |
Ad Daqahliyah | 44 |
Al Alamein | 51 (shared with Matruh) |
Al Bahr al Ahmar | 84 |
Al Buhayrah | 22 |
Al Fayyum | 63 |
Al Gharbiyah | 31 |
Al Iskandariyah (El Iskandarîya) | 21, 23 |
Al Isma’iliyah | 41 |
Al Jizah (El Gîza) | 12 (shared with Al Wahhat Al Bahariya) |
Al Minufiyah | 32 |
Al Minya | 61 |
Al Qahirah (El Qâhira) | 11 |
Al Qalyubiyah | 13 |
Al Uqsur (Luxor) | 83 (shared with Qina (Qena)) |
Al Wadi al Jadid | 72 (shared with Al Wahhat Al Bahariya) |
Al Wahhat Al Bahariya | 12 (shared with Al Jizah), 72 (shared with Al Wadi al Jadid) |
Ash Sharqiyah | 35 |
As Suways (El Suweis) | 43 |
Aswan | 81 |
Asyut | 71 |
Bani Suwayf | 62 |
Bur Sa’id (Bûr Saîd) | 42 |
Central Sinai | 46 (shared with Janub Sina’), 45 (shared with Shamal Sina’) |
Dumyat (Dumyât) | 34 |
Janub Sina’ | 46 (shared with Central Sinai) |
Kafr ash Shaykh | 33 |
Matruh | 51 (shared with Al Alamein) |
Qina (Qena) | 83 (shared with Al Uqsur (Luxor)) |
Shamal Sina’ | 45 (shared with Central Sinai) |
Suhaj | 82 |
This regions/postal code data can be acquired as a data file
Note: This section last updated 6th September 2017
When called from abroad, Egyptian area codes for geographic numbers have 1 or 2 digits and subscriber numbers have 7 or 8 digits, with a full length of 9 digits. Mobile numbers have the area codes 10-12, 1550 or 1555 and are 10 digits long.
Every effort is made to keep this resource updated. If you find any errors, or have any questions or requests, please don't hesitate to contact the author.
All information copyright Graham Rhind 2024. Any information used should be acknowledged and referenced.