Police ranks of the Arab Union

Virtually all civilian police and other law enforcement agencies of the Arab Union use a standardised ranking system, which differs only slightly between type of force. The ranking system of all civilian police forces was established by the National Police Act, 2001, which effected a significant reorganisation and decentralisation of the law enforcement apparatus at all levels of government, resulting in the contemporary system of police jurisdiction.

Below is a detailed outline of ranking standards including insignia used by law enforcement personnel, with each section accounting for one of these standards. Bear in mind that the first standard applies to the great majority of agencies, with the alternative standards unique to only a handful of federal and specialist agencies.

Main standard
The following ranking system is used by all territorial police and national police agencies, correctional officers (prison guards), and the Nasser City Police Service. Uniformed officers wear the rank insignia (which is identical across all agencies using this standard) on the epaulettes, and all officer identification cards have rank and corresponding insignia emblazoned opposite the badge and officer photo, allowing plainclothes/undercover officers to easily identify themselves as police when needed.

Federal standard
This ranking system is used by federal law enforcement agencies, namely the All-Union Police, the National Sheriff Service and the Presidential Security Service; civilian officers of the Ministry of Defence's Military Police Directorate also use this ranking system, although most actual military police personnel are enlisted or commissioned members of the armed forces, and as such use the ranking system of their particular service branch despite answering to the civilian directorate. The system is quite similar to the one used above, but with a few notable exceptions.